Today Is National Mammography Day
As you likely know by now, October is breast cancer awareness month and the third Friday of October — that's today — is National Mammography Day.
African-American women are more likely than all other women to die from breast cancer, according to womenshealth.gov. Their tumors often are found at a later, more advanced stage. So, there are fewer treatment options. Some other reasons for this may include not being able to get health care or not following up after getting abnormal test results.
This is why it is very important for women 40 years and older to get a mammogram every 1 to 2 years. And when it comes to breast cancer screenings and Black women, there is some good news. The rates of African-American women getting mammograms has increased over the years, according to Susan G Komen for the Cure.
In 2010, 73 percent of both African-American and white women ages 50 to 74 had a mammogram within the past two years. Among women 40 and older, 66 percent of African-American women and 67 percent of white women had a mammogram.
So, get out there and get your girls checked. Contact these places for free or low-cost mammograms:
Learn more about breast cancer and African-American women here.
BET Health News - We go beyond the music and entertainment world to bring you important medical information and health-related tips of special relevance to Blacks in the U.S. and around the world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
