What is Your Individual Risk?

All women should talk with their physicians about their individual risk for developing breast cancer. For those of you with daughter or granddaughters, this conversation should occur early in life—in their twenties. As we age we should update our health histories, especially if a mother or sister develops breast cancer, or if you have any risk factors for breast cancer from the list in the last posting. A current medical history helps your physician to tell how often you should be screened for breast cancer. The guidelines that are listed in the following, What Can I do to Reduce My Risk section are for women determined by their physician as at average risk. Women who are at high risk may receive different guidelines from their doctors.