Debbie Saslow, Ph.D., is the director of breast and gynecologic cancer at the American Cancer Society.
Most women are so busy taking care of everyone else – their children, their spouses, elderly parents – they barely have time to do what they need to stay well themselves, including scheduling their yearly mammogram. But this October, the American Cancer Society is encouraging women to choose to put their personal health and their breast health first through its Choose You movement.
There’s been a lot of confusion about getting screening tests for breast cancer, but we want to be clear about our mammogram recommendation: women 40 and older should get a mammogram and clinical breast exam every year to find breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable. In addition, the Society recommends that women of all ages adopt healthy lifestyles, including maintaining a healthy weight through regular exercise and a good diet, in order to help reduce their risk for many cancers including breast cancer, the second leading cause in cancer-related deaths among women. (more…)
