00:00This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mix 105.1 and Moffitt Cancer Center are sharing facts on
00:05breast cancer. When should women be getting mammograms? How often should they be coming
00:09in for screening? What factors might mean starting a little earlier? So women who are average risk
00:14should start screening mammograms at age 40 and then continue screening mammograms every year.
00:20The American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging, they recommend something called
00:24a personalized risk assessment be performed by age 25. Now this is just a series of questions and
00:31this helps determine if you're high risk screening earlier than age 40 is needed or if you may have
00:36additional tests needed like MRI. So we've heard that not all mammograms are the same.
00:41What makes Moffitt's breast imaging program stand out from the technology that you use to
00:46the experience patients can get? Yes, you know Moffitt is really unique for so many reasons but
00:52most importantly we provide expert review, personalized care and really leading-edge
00:56technology. So I said a few things now, what do I mean by this? Your results for your mammograms
01:02are analyzed by specialized breast radiologists with breast cancer expertise and these are
01:07radiologists who've done additional subspecialty training. You receive a risk assessment that's
01:12tailored to your unique breast cancer risk factors when you come in for your screening mammograms and
01:17now this is important because as I just mentioned earlier it helps determine your risk status
01:21and this helps us know, you know, do you need to start screening earlier? Do what imaging tests
01:26you need. Let's talk prevention. What are some of the everyday steps that women can do to help
01:31lower their risk of developing breast cancer? Absolutely. Now you know, breast cancer is a
01:37multifactorial disease and of course there are so many things that can be out of your control but
01:41there are some ways that you can potentially lower your overall risk and this does include maintaining a
01:47healthy weight. You know, eating healthy, eating fruits, vegetables, limiting your alcohol use and
01:51of course movement and exercise. Those are incredibly important. Just eating healthy, being healthy on a
01:57day-to-day basis which I know can get tough with, you know, all of our sort of tasks that we have going
02:02on but it makes a big difference. Breast cancer treatment has come a long way. How have improvements
02:07in screening changed survival rates and outcomes for women today? It's incredible what's, you know,
02:12what's happened over the course of the year. So annual screening mammography starting at age 40
02:16has reduced breast cancer mortality by about 30 percent and that's really phenomenal. It results
02:22in one of the greatest mortality reduction, lives saved and life years gained. And early detection of
02:28breast cancer from screening mammography helps prevent breast cancer deaths and this is supported by many
02:33research studies that have been done. So not only does it help save lives but it may also help reduce the
02:38severity of treatment undergone by those who are affected by breast cancer.
02:42And finally, support makes such a difference. So what is the best way for partners, family and
02:46friends to show up for someone who is going through a breast cancer diagnosis?
02:51Yeah, I mean, you know, support just makes a huge difference. And I think, you know, as one starts to come
02:56to the firm with their breast cancer diagnosis, it's natural that they worry about how treatment is
03:01going to impact their daily life. But often to pick up day-to-day tasks like grocery shopping or
03:06picking nutritious meals or even health-related ones like scheduling appointments and such,
03:11you really give your loved ones a chance to relax and give them a chance to focus on their treatment.
03:16And accompanying your loved ones, you know, to their appointment. Being there, being a good and
03:20active listener is important because it really helps them feel heard. Lastly, I really want to
03:25emphasize knowing health care and treatment plans for your loved ones is so, so important because this
03:31gives you a chance to advocate for them and it really shows that you're there for them and that they are not
03:36alone. Presented by Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida's top choice for cancer care. Early detection really
03:41saves lives and I think all these factors really make a big, big impact. Visit moffitt.org slash breastcareexperts.
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