“I strongly believe in the importance of early detection,” said Amy. “This is my best defense against cancer… cancer that I have seen claim too many lives. For me, this is crucial.” Amy never misses her annual mammography screening appointment.

Annual screening with mammography can help finding breast cancer early, which reduces a patient’s risk of dying from the disease by 25-30% or more. It is recommended that women should begin having mammograms yearly at age 40, or earlier if at a high risk.[1] 75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history and are not considered high risk.

“If they find cancer, you can treat cancer. You have a chance at survival. There’s no reasonable excuse to not getting a mammogram,” said Amy. “You’re letting your fears rule your life but what you should be doing is taking control of your life and your own healthcare.”

Mammography has helped reduce breast cancer mortality in the U.S. by nearly 40% since 1990. For every 1,000 women who have a screening mammogram: 100 are recalled for a follow-up mammography or ultrasound, 20 are recommended for a needle biopsy, and 5 are diagnosed with breast cancer. [2]

“I want to be there when my girls walk down the aisle and I want to see my grandkids,” said Amy. “That’s the richness of life that’s right there before me unfolding and I want to be there to witness it.”

[1] http://www.mammographysaveslives.org/facts

[2] http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/mammograms/benefits_risks