If you stopped by from our CEO’s email and would like to donate to the American Cancer Society, please click here! And now for an incredibly important message:
Breast cancer has always been a cause we hold pretty close to our hearts—but this year, early detection of breast cancer is more important than ever. That’s why we’re donating to and partnering with the American Cancer Society—and giving you everything you need to know about getting screened.
In 2020, there was a 60% decrease in the rate of annual mammograms.
Early detection of breast cancer is so important—for a lot of reasons. Think treatment options, survival rates, and quality of life. The earlier you detect breast cancer, the better—but because so many women missed their annual mammogram due to the pandemic, more and more cases of breast cancer are going undetected.
Wondering what you can do to detect signs of breast cancer as soon as possible? Here are the deets:
ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS
According to the American Cancer Society, women should start getting screened for breast cancer through an annual mammogram starting at the age of 40.
What’s a mammogram?
Mammography is the most accurate process out there to help detect signs of breast cancer as early as possible. Basically, you put both of your breasts (one at a time) into high-tech scanning equipment that uses X-rays to examine your breast tissue. The machine has plates that will briefly compress your breast horizontally, and then diagonally, to take digital images of the tissue.
Why should I get a mammogram every year?
Once you start getting mammograms, your doctor will compare your most recent digital images to those from your past mammograms to identify any changes. There’s also no question that it’s best to detect cancer as early as possible—which is kinda what mammograms are best at.
MONTHLY SELF-BREAST EXAMINATIONS
In addition to annual mammograms, the American Cancer Society recommends performing a self-breast exam every month—starting at the age of 20.
We know it’s a lot—but here’s the thing: 40% of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump. The best time to perform a self-breast exam is about 3-5 days after your period starts, because your breasts are much less likely to be tender. If you don’t have a period, it’s best to perform your self-breast exam on the same day of every month.
We’d recommend checking out the American Cancer Society’s 5 step breast self-exam to learn more, or a short video from us!
