By Helen Pass, MD, Director of Breast Surgery and Co-Director, Breast Center

You’ve heard it before and will likely hear it again: when it comes to breast cancer prevention tips, early detection from mammograms can save lives. Here's why a mammogram appointment is too important to put off.

1. The risk of breast cancer increases significantly beginning at age 40 and continues to rise as you get older.
   
   
2. Mammography has helped reduce breast cancer-related deaths in the U.S. by 30% since 1990.
   
   
3. Mammograms find breast cancer on an average about 5 years earlier than you can feel it.
   
   
4. Finding early-stage breast cancer allows more treatment options and a better opportunity for long-term survival.
   
   
5. More than 3 out of every 4 women diagnosed (75-85%) have no family history or known risk factors of breast cancer. For this reason, mammography is a gold standard in cancer screening tests.
   
   
6. Stamford Health's Breast Center provides same-day results during business hours and performs additional imaging if needed.
   
   
7. 3D mammograms detect breast cancer at an earlier stage with fewer false positives. 3D mammography has also improved our cancer detection rate by more than 50%.
   
   
8. Connecticut has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in the country. This jarring fact is why our recommendations for breast cancer screening are slightly more proactive than those of some national organizations.
   
   
9. Stamford Health is able to provide mammograms to anyone who is uninsured or whose insurance does not cover breast cancer screening, as long as you qualify. Ask your doctor.
   
   
10. Stamford Health's Breast Center was the first Accredited Center in the U.S. to be recognized by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and remains the only accredited program in the Stamford-Norwalk area. This level of excellence shows our commitment to your care.

Sources Cited:

http://www.ct.gov/dph/