Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A Call to Action, Sponsored by Astria Health

sponsored by Astria Health

How early is too early to get mammograms to detect breast cancer? Is there really a growing number of men getting breast cancer, too? When are we supposed to start having mammograms every year?

We hope to answer these questions for you and we hope to offer some resources if you or someone you love has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

You may have heard the saying...

Yes, in October many choose to wear pink clothing inspired by those wanting to get awareness out about breast cancer.

One fair warning: not all lumps in your breast(s) automatically mean you have breast cancer. When I was in my 30s, I had a breast cancer scare. I noticed lumps in my breasts, so I went to get a mammogram. Doctors were able to determine that I had fibroids.

If I hadn't gotten my screening, I would have probably worried myself to death thinking I had the big B.C.!

Astria Health has numerous resources and services to help women in the Yakima Valley and Central Washington get breast cancer screenings and be prepared to fight potential breast cancer.

Astria Health provides education on breast health, and they use the latest technology to make mammogram screenings as comfortable and accurate as possible!

We at Townsquare Media had a "Wear Pink to Work" day on October 11th, but even for those who missed it, we can still wear pink all month long.

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How early is too early to get mammograms to detect breast cancer? 

When I took my 13-year-old daughter for her recent physical, I asked the pediatrician how soon she would start getting mammograms. The answer shocked me: Most doctors recommend women start getting them when they turn 40 years old.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women over 45 to age 54 get a mammogram every year. Those over age 55 are recommended to get screened every other year or if they want annual ones, that is okay, too.

MEN CAN GET BREAST CANCER, TOO

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers found in women, but men are getting it more, too, although those cases are rare.

WARNING SIGNS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BREAST CANCER

Visit AstriaHealth.com for a list of warning signs, which include rashes on your nipples, bloody discharge, and more.