National Mammography Day

Each year during the month of October as we recognize this time period as Breast Cancer Awareness month and join with many around the world in raising awareness of this disease. On the third Friday of this specially recognized month, we set it aside to recognize National Mammography Day. 

National Mammography Day serves as a reminder of the mammogram’s effectiveness in early cancer detection. By getting routine mammograms as directed by their doctor, women can often detect breast cancer before outward physical symptoms begin to show, thereby allowing a person to receive treatment while chances of metastasis are lower.

Based on information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, with breast cancer the most frequently diagnosed form of cancer among women. Consequently, regular breast exams and screenings are a core part of the early detection process and need to be taken seriously in order to continue to early detection efforts. When diagnosed early, a person’s five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 99 percent, making it vital that an individual receive treatment while the disease is still in its earliest stages. 

At Pacifica Senior Living, we encourage our residents to schedule breast exams as part of their annual visits to their doctors. Mammograms offer additional information as a ‘last line’ of preventative defense against breast cancer, offering more detailed information about a person’s health than typical screenings and breast exams. The CDC recommends that women over age 40 receive annual mammogram screenings. We recognize regular screenings are a vital part of our residents ongoing wellness and encourage them to follow that guidance and schedule appointments as necessary.

How do you know if an individual is at increased risk for breast cancer? Here are a few known risk factors for consideration:

• A woman beginning their menstrual cycle before age 12, or started menopause after age 50
• The individual used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for more than a 10-year period
• A family history of cancers such as: breast, colorectal, and ovarian cancer
• An individual history of ovarian cancer
• Recent use of birth control
• Not having biological children, or having their first child after the age 30
• Smoking or tobacco use

At Pacifica Senior Living, we are happy to help our residents learn more about the value of mammography, sharing information about the process and how it helps detect cancer. We offer transportation at our communities, helping our residents get to appointments for cancer screenings and health checkups, making it easier to get preventative treatment while calling our community home. 

We invite families to learn more about National Mammography Day at Pacifica Senior Living by chatting with us below.