Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Spring 2018

citizensmemorial.com 9 ‘We need to see you again’ 4 things to know if you’re called back after a mammogram It’s normal to feel anxious if you’re called back for more testing after having a mammogram. If that happens to you, keep these four things in mind: Q Are most breast changes cancerous? A No, there are many benign, or noncancerous, breast conditions. Among them: cysts (fluid-filled lumps); fibroadenomas (the most common benign breast lump, often found in younger women); and fat necrosis (lumps that may appear after an injury, surgery or radiation therapy to a breast). Q Can I lower my risk of getting breast cancer? A While there’s no sure way to prevent breast cancer, these five steps may lower your risk: 1} Watch the scale. Extra pounds make you more vulnerable to breast cancer. That’s particularly true after menopause. Estrogen spurs the growth of cancerous breast cells. And after menopause, most of your estrogen comes from body fat. 2} Move more. Studies show that being active is a breast- healthy habit. In one study, women who walked briskly for as few as 75 to 150 minutes every week cut their breast cancer risk by nearly 20 percent. 3} Be aware of alcohol’s risks. Only a few drinks—just three to six glasses of wine a week, for instance—may raise your risk. 4} Sit less. No matter how hard and long you exercise, long stretches of sitting may make breast cancer more likely. 5} Avoid or limit hormone therapy. Women who take combination menopausal hormone therapy—estrogen and progestin together—may be more likely to develop breast cancer. The risk for cancer appears to return to normal, however, within five years after stopping the therapy. Q Are mammo- grams still the best way to detect breast cancer? A No screening test is perfect—including mammograms, which may occasionally miss some tumors or find a cancer that would never cause problems. Still, they give women the best chance of finding breast cancer early, when treatment is often most successful. Ask your doctor what’s the best screening schedule for you. Sources: American Cancer Society; National Cancer Institute Need to schedule a mammogram?We can help! Call 417-328-7860 for an appointment. 1 Less than 10 percent of women called back are diagnosed with breast cancer. Source: American Cancer Society In the vast majority of women, more testing reveals everything is OK. 2 If something still looks suspicious, however, only a biopsy can determine if it’s breast cancer. 3 4 Even if you do need a biopsy, try to remember that most breast biopsy results are not cancer.