"No one in my family had it": the mammogram myth your patients believe

It's the excuse every nurse has heard: "Breast cancer doesn't run in my family, so I don't need a mammogram."

The numbers say otherwise. About 85% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of it. Only 5 to 10% of breast cancers are hereditary. The two biggest risk factors are simply being a woman and getting older.

WHEN TO START

• Every 2 years from age 40 to 74 for women at average risk, family history or not (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2024).

• Ask the doctor about starting earlier or adding other imaging if:

– her mother, sister or daughter had breast or ovarian cancer

– she carries a BRCA or other gene change

– she had radiation to the chest between ages 10 and 30

– her mammogram report says she has dense breasts (since September 2024, the report has to say so)

4 MORE MYTHS YOU'LL HEAR

• "I'd feel a lump." A mammogram can find cancer years before a lump can be felt.

• "It hurts too much." It's firm pressure for a few seconds per image.

• "The radiation is dangerous." The dose is very low. Finding cancer early matters more.

• "Men can't get it." About 1 in 100 breast cancers is in a man.

WHY IT MATTERS HERE

For Hispanic women, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. When it's found early, before it spreads, 99% survive at least 5 years.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COST ANYTHING

• Insured: most plans cover a screening mammogram with no copay.

• Uninsured: Florida's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program offers free or low-cost mammograms to women who qualify. Age and income rules vary by county, so call the county health department.

Your move: think of one woman who keeps putting it off (mom, tía, abuela, a friend, a patient) and help her book it this month.

Sources: American Cancer Society (Breast Cancer Facts & Figures; Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanic/Latino People) · U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2024) · FDA mammography rule (2024) · Florida Department of Health.

General information, not medical advice.