Age 40 or Older? Every Woman Needs a Mammogram, Even Publishers

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), American women have little less than a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. ACS predicts that about 40,170 women in the United States will die from breast cancer in 2009. 

Despite the toll that breast cancer takes on women and their families, not enough women take steps to ensure that breast cancer is identified early when treatment rates have a higher rate of success. Women over 40 should have a screening mammogram every year. 

Perhaps part of the reluctance some women have stems from an uncertainty regarding what to expect when a mammogram is performed. With that in mind, Loudoun Independent publisher Amy Burns volunteered to share her experience at HCA's Reston Hospital this year, allowing viewers to accompany her during the mammogram screening. The hope is that women who view the video with feel more comfortable with the screening and perhaps become less reluctant to have themselves tested. 

There are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. With early detection and increased awareness, the survival rate can grow.