Breast Cancer Awareness: Know Your Risk and Screening Options

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, affecting millions of people and families every year. Early detection can make a meaningful difference in treatment and outcomes. Awareness is key: Knowing your individual risk factors, paying attention to changes in your breasts, and staying up to date with recommended screenings are all important. Whether you’re due for your first mammogram or have dense breasts, being proactive, understanding your family health history, and talking to your Care Team are great places to start.

Breast Cancer Basics

Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast or chest tissue begin to grow out of control. While anyone with breast tissue can develop breast cancer, risk increases with age and can also be influenced by genetics, family history, lifestyle, and other factors. Early detection is crucial because finding cancer in its initial stages can improve treatment options and outcomes. Screening can find breast cancer before symptoms appear, when it may be easier to treat. Keep in mind, though, that many people don’t experience any early warning signs or symptoms.

Here are some key things to know about breast cancer and your risk:

• Prevalence: Breast cancer accounts for approximately 30% of all new cancer diagnoses in individuals assigned female at birth each year.
• Lifetime Risk: There is a one-in-eight chance that a person assigned female at birth will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.
• Leading Cause of Death: Breast cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer death among individuals assigned female at birth.
• Inclusivity in Screening: An important reminder: Breast cancer can affect anyone with breast tissue, including men, transgender people, and nonbinary people. Your screening needs may vary based on your individual risk factors, so talk with your Care Team about what’s right for you.

Know Your Risks

Some breast cancer risk factors can’t be changed, including age, genetics, and family health history. Others are related to lifestyle and environmental factors. You may be at increased risk if you have:

• A personal or family history of breast cancer
• An inherited gene change, such as a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation
• A history of certain breast conditions
• A history of radiation treatment to the chest at a young age
• Certain lifestyle factors, including alcohol use, excess weight, and physical inactivity

Knowing your risk factors can help you and your Care Team create a screening plan that’s right for you. People at higher risk may need to start screening earlier or have additional screening, such as a breast MRI.

What About Dense Breasts?

Dense breasts are common and simply mean you have more fibrous and glandular tissue compared with fatty tissue. Having dense breasts can increase breast cancer risk and make some cancers harder to see on a mammogram.

If you’re told you have dense breasts, don’t panic—it doesn’t mean you have cancer. Talk with your Care Team about what your breast density means for you and whether additional imaging is appropriate.

Screening and Early Detection

The benefits of regular screening include:

• 42% reduction in breast cancer mortality
• Less extensive surgery for cancers detected through screening
• Reduced need for aggressive chemotherapy regimens
• Higher treatment efficacy when cancer is caught early

There’s encouraging news, too: Death rates from breast cancer have dropped significantly since 1990. This progress is largely due to earlier detection through mammography, greater public awareness, and advances in treatment.

Who Should Get Screened?

For people of average risk, screening generally starts at 40. How often to screen? That depends. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends mammograms every two years for women ages 40 to 74. Other organizations, including the American Cancer Society, recommend different screening intervals, including annual mammograms for certain age groups. Bottom line: there isn’t one screening schedule that’s right for everyone. Age, family health history, personal risk factors, and preferences all matter.

If you’re 40 or older—or younger and at increased risk—talk with your Care Team about when to start screening and how often you should have a mammogram or other recommended screenings. And, of course, it’s important for those with a history of breast cancer to keep up with regular screenings.

What About Self-Exams and Ultrasounds?

While routine breast self-exams are no longer recommended as a formal screening tool for average-risk women, being familiar with how your breasts normally look and feel can help you notice changes. You know your body better than anyone, right? Contact your healthcare provider if you notice changes such as a breast lump, or a change in breast size or shape.

An ultrasound isn’t a routine replacement for a mammogram, but your healthcare provider may recommend an ultrasound check to evaluate a breast lump or another area of concern, or as additional imaging in certain circumstances. If you have dense breasts or an abnormal mammogram, consult with your Care Team about whether additional imaging is appropriate for you.

Common Breast Cancer Myths

There are many misconceptions regarding breast health, risk factors, and screening safety. Here’s what the clinical evidence shows:

Myth: Finding a lump means you have breast cancer.
Fact: Most breast lumps are benign, or noncancerous. But any new or persistent lump should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

Myth: Men don’t get breast cancer.
Fact: Anyone with breast tissue can develop breast cancer. Men account for a very small percentage of breast cancer cases—approximately 2,200 are diagnosed each year. Still, men with unusual breast lumps or changes should be evaluated.

Myth: Breast cancer only affects middle-aged and older women.
Fact: Risk increases with age, but breast cancer can occur at any stage of life. (One in 25 cases of invasive cancer occurs in women under 40.) That’s why knowing your personal risk factors, remaining attentive, and talking with your Care Team matters.

Myth: Mammograms can cause breast cancer to spread.
Fact: Mammograms use low-dose X-rays with an extremely low risk of harm and breast compression does not cause cancer to spread, according to the National Cancer Institute.

What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk

No, you can’t control every breast cancer risk factor, but there are things you can do to support your overall health that may lower your risk. Focus on the basics and living a healthy lifestyle:

• Maintain a healthy weight (especially after menopause) and stay physically active
• Limit alcohol intake
• Don’t smoke or use tobacco products
• Minimize environmental chemical exposure by avoiding plastic food containers and choosing paraben-free personal-care products
• Breastfeed when possible, as it provides protective benefits against breast cancer

Most importantly, don’t let prevention become overwhelming. Small, consistent choices can add up—and staying current with recommended screening is one of the most important steps you can take.

Connect with your Care Team to learn more about your breast cancer risk, recommended screenings, and an early detection plan that’s right for you.

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