The Mammo Minute: Busting Myths About Breast Cancer

The Mammo Minute is a continuing series featuring Dr. Arthy Saravanan, chief of the breast imaging section at ARA. In each episode, she will share important information about mammograms, breast health, and cancer prevention.

Hi. Welcome to the Mammo Minute. My name is Dr. Arthy Saravanan, and I’m the chief of the breast imaging section here at Austin Radiological Association. Today’s topic is going to be busting myths about breast cancer.

The first myth, or most common misconception that I’ve heard, is that patients often think that if they don’t have a family history of breast cancer, then they don’t need to get screening mammograms. Well, the truth is, that a vast majority of women that are diagnosed with breast cancer don’t have any known family history. So, just because your inner circle, such as your mom, sister, or friends has never been diagnosed with breast cancer, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get it.

Remember that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. But the good news is that more than 98% of these cancers are survivable, especially when they’re treated and diagnosed early by screening mammography.

Another myth I’ve heard is that “my breasts are too small, so I won’t get breast cancer.” Well, the truth is that breast cancer risk is not associated or affected by the size of the breast tissue. In fact, it does increase your risk of breast cancer if you have more dense breasts. But the size of the breast doesn’t affect your risk of breast cancer.

So be sure to schedule your mammogram today. Well, that’s all for today’s episode. Be sure to tune in next month for the Mammo Minute.