October 7, 2014 — Mammography Saves Lives (MSL) is a public service campaign, which includes TV and radio public service announcements (PSAs) to encourage women, 40 and older, to get a regular mammogram and helps them find an accredited center near them.
The PSAs, featuring a physician and breast cancer survivor diagnosed in her 40s by mammography, urge women to begin getting regular mammograms at age 40 and refer them to MammographySavesLives.org where they can:
- Find an accredited mammography facility near them
- Access scientific information on breast density and how it affects mammograms and breast cancer diagnosis.
- Hear leading breast cancer experts separate fact from myth and explain why they recommend regular mammograms for women 40-years-old and older.
All women can benefit from getting a regular mammogram starting at age 40. This decision should not be based solely on someone being at high-risk for breast cancer. Seventy-five percent of all women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history or other factors that place them at high-risk for the disease. Forty percent of life-years lost to breast cancer occur in women in their 40s. Women are urged to seek out information on the benefits and limitations of mammograms, and together with their health care provider, create a schedule to get their regular mammogram.
“Despite some limitations, mammograms save lives. A great many more breast cancer deaths could be avoided if more women would choose to begin regular screening at age 40,” said Murray Rebner, M.D., FACR, president of the Society of Breast Imaging.
The MSL campaign, a coalition of not-for-profit, medical associations dedicated to improving breast cancer care, is comprised of the American College of Radiology, the Society of Breast Imaging and the American Society of Breast Disease.
For more information: www.mammographysaveslives.org
