Remind Mom to Take Care of Her Health This Mother's Day

Contact: Angela Minicuci (517) 241-2112

LANSING - This Sunday, May 13, is Mother's Day, a day to recognize the women who have made a difference in our lives. It's also a perfect day to remind them to make a difference in their own lives by getting screened for breast cancer.

In recent years there has been some confusion about who should be screened, at what ages, and how often. But that's no reason to put off an annual visit to your health care provider and routine screening. There is no perfect screening test, but mammography helps detect breast cancer before you can even feel a tiny lump.

"With our busy schedules it can be easy to put off getting a screening," said Sue Snyder, Michigan's first lady and breast cancer survivor. "But the chances of beating breast cancer increase the sooner a detection is made, so it is critically important to get checked every year, especially for women over 40. Cancer doesn't just affect you; it affects your whole family and your friends, so from one mother to another, I strongly encourage you to get an annual checkup."

The Michigan Department of Community Health and the American Cancer Society continue to encourage women who are 40 years of age or older to get a mammogram and see a health care provider for a clinical breast exam every year. Breast cancer screening and early detection can be key to survival. With regular screening, including a mammogram and clinical breast exam, cancer is more likely to be detected at an earlier stage, when it is most treatable.

Last year in Michigan, more than 7,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Many of these cancers were found as a result of routine breast cancer screening which included mammography. A majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history or any other risk factors.

We know that mothers are amazing and can take on anything, even breast cancer. But before they can win a fight against breast cancer, they have to detect it. If you are a woman 40 years of age or older, a mammogram is recommended annually.

For more information about breast cancer and mammograms, talk to your healthcare provider or call the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345.

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