Mammograms are one of the most important tools in the fight against breast cancer, and doctors and health organizations have been urging women to get their mammograms every year. An advocate for preventative healthcare in the Bahamas, Doctors Hospital continued its commitment to the health and wellness of women and families by promoting its ‘Free Mammograms for Life’ campaign instituted four years ago.
The ‘Mammograms for Life’ competition encourages women to have their yearly mammograms, and for those having a mammogram for the first time, received 50% off of the cost of a mammogram through December 1, 2010. Hundreds of women completed the entry forms, and two lucky ladies, Shena Ferguson and Dorothy Robinson, advanced victorious, winning Free Mammograms for Life!
The recommended age for women to begin their mammogram screenings is at age forty. Doctors are now suggesting that women get tested earlier, as breast cancer is growing rapidly in younger women, especially in the Bahamas. A twenty year old who discovers cancer cells can expect her cancer to double or triple within a six month period, while the same cancer in a forty year old takes a year to a year and a half to reach the similar size.
Women with a history of breast cancer in their families should begin screening earlier than age 40. If a woman knows her mother’s breast cancer was found at age thirty-five, that woman should begin to have regular mammograms at the age of twenty-five. To screen women at very high risk for breast cancer, Breast Ultrasound and Breast MRI scans are used in addition to mammography.
If you haven’t already, and if you have a family history for breast cancer, schedule your screening today, call the Doctors Hospital’s Comprehensive Breast Diagnostic Imaging Center at 242-302-4662. Early detection of cancer saves lives.
