CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. This October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, understanding the screening that could save your life and the new guidelines every woman should know is more important than ever.
Linda Garrett was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, but she had no warning signs.
"I absolutely had no signs at all," Garrett said.
"It was a routine screening, I always had my yearly mammograms," she said.
It was because of her routine mammogram that she is now also a breast cancer survivor. Early detection made all the difference — catching it in stage 1 means her five-year survival rate is almost 100%, versus just 30% when the disease reaches stage 4.
"We are all so busy, we are all taking care of other people, we don't think enough about taking care of ourselves," Garrett said.
"Getting your mammograms when they're due is a small price to pay to be able to be around family, children, grandkids for the future," Director for Cancer Prevention and Control at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Jennifer Molokwu said.
Here's the reality: Most breast cancer happens to people with no family history, so everyone needs to get screened.
Average risk women should start screening at 40, then every two years. Higher risk women — those with dense breasts or family history — should start earlier and screen more often.
Not sure which category you're in? Cancer Prevention Director at Texas Tech Jennifer Molokwu says the American Cancer Society has a resource to help.
"You can actually calculate your risk by entering information about yourself and it can help you determine," Molokwu said.
She says that's a great way to start a conversation with your primary care provider or OBGYN.
"People are under this wrong assumption that health care providers don't like questions. We are actually very happy when people come to us directly with their concerns and state what it is that you're worried about because we can address it, target it and take care of it," Molokwu said.
The actual screening is quick — taking about 15 minutes.
"You go into this big machine and they scan you but they're so gentle and it's so easy," Garrett said.
While breast cancer is rare in men, they can get it too — so if you notice something unusual, see your doctor.
For women though, Garrett has simple advice: Take control and treat yourself afterwards.
"Go for it, go get a mammogram. You can go get a mammogram and then go buy yourself some shoes because you've just done yourself a huge favor," Garrett said.
If you're interested in getting screened, check out either cancer.org/getscreened or the cancer.org/BreastCancerAction website.
To show your support for those with or who had breast cancer, or survivors, you can still sign up for free for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on October 25 at Bayfront Park.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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