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Breast Cancer Awareness

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With so many women facing breast cancer, understanding your risk is key

With one in eight women facing breast cancer sometime during her life, you almost certainly know someone who has been impacted personally by the disease. Local mom Meagan Ingold is one of these women, and as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to stay informed and learn from the stories of survivors and insights of doctors.

Discovering cancer while breastfeeding

When Ingold was pregnant with her second son in 2016, she thought she was feeling her milk ducts coming in early, so she mentioned it to her physician. Her doctor said that did not seem right and recommended getting imaging to check things out. Ingold’s imaging came back normal at that time, so she focused on her pregnancy and, subsequently, her son’s birth and breastfeeding.

Yet as Ingold continued to feed her son, things still didn’t feel right. She even noticed some visible lumps. After a time, she ended up acting as her own advocate, calling back radiology herself to request more imaging. This time, the imaging showed the problem. At the age of 30, she had the early stages of breast cancer. A double mastectomy followed, but thanks to early detection and quick action, she is healthy today.

Ingold’s message to other women is to be aware of your body even if you are not at a time in life when mammograms or other screenings are recommended, and do not think that if you are nursing that you cannot get breast cancer.

“Just listen to your body,” she says. “If something feels off or your body is telling you something is off, listen to that thought and get it checked out.”

Understanding your risk

The good news of Ingold’s story is that early detection and early action can result in favorable and healthy outcomes.

Dr. Onalisa Winblad, division director of breast imaging in the department of radiology at the University of Kansas Cancer Center, said by the time women are 30 years old, they should have a formal breast cancer risk assessment to determine their personal risk and whether they would benefit from early screening. She said even average-risk women should begin getting mammograms by the age of 40.

Some of the most common risk factors for breast cancer include a family history of the disease, dense breast tissue, obesity, smoking and previous chest radiation, Winblad says. Limiting alcohol and maintaining an appropriate weight can help reduce risk as well. As Ingold’s story also proves, knowing your breasts and recognizing when something is abnormal is also important.

Winblad says that although very common, dense breast tissue can sometimes makes finding cancer on a mammogram more difficult. As a result, health care providers often recommend additional screenings such as ultrasounds or MRIs for women with such tissue. She says they notify women who have dense breast tissue after having a mammogram and provide information about additional screenings.

Someone with a family history of breast cancer should begin discussions with their doctor about when they should start screening and what types of screening they should receive, advises Winblad. She  says those women might need a breast MRI in addition to a traditional mammogram and might need to get genetic testing as well.

Despite the growing awareness risk factors play in breast cancer, Winblad says most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer actually do not have any significant risk factors. And, surprisingly, other women who do have risk factors will never develop cancer.

“Even if you don’t have any family history or any risk factors, you still have a risk,” Winblad says. “That’s why screening is so important.”

Not only does screening save lives, but it can also help reduce the severity and length of treatment necessary if cancer is detected.

Winblad says half of all fatal breast cancer diagnoses occur before the age of 50. She also says there is more data showing minority populations are diagnosed with cancer at a younger age and have a worse prognosis. All these facts make having a formal risk assessment with a doctor important.

Although some women might feel apprehensive at the thought of having a mammogram, Winblad provides assurance it is a simple and easy test. “Most patients don’t have any complaints of discomfort during a mammogram at all,” the doctor says. “We know when we find breast cancers early, they are treatable.”

Ingold also emphasized that insurance should never be a reason to delay getting a screening. If screening is necessary, but insurance says you are too young for such, don’t hesitate to challenge them.

What are common risk factors for breast cancer?

Source: National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. and nationalbreastcancer.org.

Allison Gibeson is a Lee’s Summit writer and mom.

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

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