Breast cancer screening can save lives

October is breast cancer awareness month. About one in eight North Dakota women will get breast cancer during their lifetime. For those who are diagnosed, early detection greatly increases the chances of survival.

“It’s great to know that when women discover breast cancer in its early stages, their five-year survival rate may increase to 98%,” said Susan Mormann, Women’s Way Director for the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH). “Without that early detection, the five-year survival rate may drop to 27% in later stages or if the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. Working with your healthcare provider, you can identify your risk factors along with how often you should be screened.”

Risk factors for breast cancer include:

• Being older than 50

• Having a family history of breast cancer

• Having a personal history of breast cancer

• Having radiation therapy to the chest or breasts (like for treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma) before age 30

• Taking certain hormones for hormone replacement therapy

• Having dense breast tissue

“You may not have symptoms in the early stages of breast cancer, so screenings are a critical way to take charge of your health,” says Mormann.

Healthy lifestyle practices such as limiting alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, and eating a balanced diet are steps all women can take to reduce the risk of developing breast or other cancers.

Women's Way provides a way to pay for mammograms for eligible North Dakotans. Find more information about screening for breast cancer, including options for financial assistance, by visiting Women’s Way at http://www.ndhealth.gov/womensway or calling (800) 449-6636 or (701) 328-2367.