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[quote=Anonymous]NP and BC survivor. Copying and pasting what I wrote before on DCUM.

I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer at 41 through a screening mammogram. No symptoms, no family history, no gene mutations. I’m so glad I ignored the “wait till you are 50” camp!! We caught my cancer super early, and as a result treatment was more manageable and my prognosis is excellent (despite it being an aggressive type of cancer).

My advice:

1) Get a baseline mammogram asap, which will tell you if you have dense breasts (having dense breasts is in itself a risk factor and may warrant more frequent screening).

2) Do genetic testing. There are now very comprehensive panels that analyze 80+ genes associated with many different types of cancers, not just breast cancer. As part of your genetic testing, you will also be given an assessment (based on different factors such as age, breast density, family history etc) of your overall risk of developing breast cancer, and you will get recommendations for increased screening if you fall into the “high risk” category. I highly recommend Dr. Reem Saadeh-Haddad for this, she is excellent.

3) Get screened!! Annual mammograms starting at 40, and DEMAND ultrasounds if you have dense breasts (there is also something now called FAST breast MRI which is very accurate and might be a great option if you have dense breasts and/or are considered high-risk).

4) Have a healthcare provider examine your breasts regularly and learn how to self-exam. Don’t just learn how to self-exam, actually do it, and often. Familiarize yourself with your breasts and notice any changes.

5) Stay positive. Screening for breast cancer is scary, there are lots of call-backs after mammograms for example, but for the very, very vast majority of women, these call-backs will NOT lead to a breast cancer diagnosis! So try to relax into the process, educate yourself about it and take it for what it is: an imperfect process that WILL make a HUGE difference though in the unlikely event that you are diagnosed with breast cancer in your 40s.

I hope this helps![/quote]

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