Baystate Health doctors stress importance of breast cancer screening

Oh, it's Go Pink Day here at 22 News. Our studio is lit up pink and we're also wearing pink to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Massachusetts and across the country. It's also the second leading cause of cancer death among women behind lung cancer. So joining us in studio tonight are Dr. Prathana Bhardwaj and Dr. Nicole Keller from Bay State. We thank you so much for being here with us. Thank you for having us. So let's talk about when we should start screening and who should maybe get screened earlier? Yeah, so recommendations for a screening mammogram is to start at the age of 40 and between 40 to 49 years of age recommendation is to do it one to two years every one to two years and after 50 certainly for everyone. In terms of who needs to get screened earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer diagnosed before the age of 40 that's certainly a reason to consider screening earlier. And what about imaging such as ultrasound or MRI of the breast? What would you say? So, you know, if people have dense breasts, supplemental screening in the form of ultrasound may be considered. We often get asked who needs an MRI. We have some very specific indications for MRI for screening that would include familial cancer predisposition if you have genes like the BRCA genes, if you've received radiation to the chest because of a prior diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, or for surgical planning if somebody were to develop a breast cancer diagnosis, it can be used. But for screening purposes, it's pretty limited, I would say. And what about family history? So someone might have a family history of breast cancer, but then they might not have that family history. What would you say about just making sure that you're staying up to date? Yeah, in absence of a family history, it's still important to start screening at 40. We do have screening, like, you know, we do have risk estimators calculators that can predict what is an average person's risk of developing breast cancer and for those that might be over 20 which takes into consideration um you know their hormonal status um you know it could be how many children they've had whether they've had children weight whether they're breastfed or not etc based on that this can be tailored and i would say you know can be considered and dr keller you know we're seeing cases younger and younger now you you know, women in their 20s, and maybe they're healthy, they eat right, they just didn't think that this would be something they'd be diagnosed with. What would you say to our younger crowd? I mean, like you mentioned, we are seeing it younger and younger. I think it's important to, we, some of the guidelines talk about being clinically aware, getting breast exams, honestly, in your primary care OB-GYN when you're younger, just every few years, looking for a mass. If you do find one, definitely reach out to providers, get imaging, and we will get you plugged in with our cancer groups and get you treated. And we were at the Rays of Hope walk just yesterday and seeing how many people are there, how many people are impacted by cancer. And you had some really inspiring words. So just what you shared. Yeah, I mean, you know, one in eight women go on to develop breast cancer, which is a fairly sobering statistic. And this is what I keep saying, that we've made amazing strides in how we treat breast cancer, how we manage breast cancer, and deaths related to breast cancer has decreased by more than 40% in the last, I would say, probably four decades. But we still have more work to do. And so it's important as a scientific community, alongside, you know, patient advocacy with the aid of research for us to keep going. All right, doctors, thank you both so much for being here and sharing your insight with our viewers. Our Go Pink Day coverage continues on air, online, and on the 22 News Plus app. You can find a full list of breast cancer resources available this month and throughout the year.