When To Screen For Breast Cancer
- Breast cancer warrior Kylie Minogue, 54, headlined WorldPride 2023 nearly 20 years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and helped inspire young women to get their own checks thanks to the ‘Kylie Effect,’
- The Australian pop star was just 36 years old and underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation before being declared cancer-free in 2006. Sharing her cancer journey led to an increase in breast cancer screenings dubbed the "Kylie effect."
- Screening for breast cancer is typically done via mammogram. While there is debate over when and how often to screen, women should begin screening earlier if they have a family history, deanse breasts or certain genetic markers.
- Those aged 40-44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year, and women age 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year or choose to continue yearly mammograms.
The 54-year-old pop star took to the stage in a sparkly bright blue jumpsuit on Friday night to kick off the LGBTQIA+ festival, which also featured singers like Charli XCX and Jessica Mauboy. Minogue’s 51-year-old sister, Dannii Minogue, who has said Kylie’s cancer diagnosis made her appreciate the joys in life, also made an appearance and sang alongside Kylie for a performance of “All the Lovers.”
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Kylie Minogue’s Breast Cancer Battle
While Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer on May 17, 2005, her cancer was originally misdiagnosed.
"Because someone is in a white coat and using big medical instruments doesn't necessarily mean they're right," she said during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
RELATED: Kylie Minogue Wonders What it Would Have Been Like to Have Children Instead of Cancer
Being just 36 years old at the time of her correct diagnosis, Minogue's world was turned upside down.
kylie and dannii minogue – all the lovers | sydney world pride | 2023 pic.twitter.com/8teiDK1w4A
— Minogue Updates (@MinogueUpdates) February 24, 2023
"It's like the earth had kind of slipped off its axis," Minogue said in 2020 of her diagnosis. "You see everything differently."
The diagnosis came right before she was set to perform at the famous Glastonbury Festival that year, so she had to put her career on hold. Instead of headlining the iconic event, she watched it on TV from Australia with her mom, Carol, and dad, Ron.
"My memory's so strong of so much around that time and while my focus had moved on from Glastonbury, I was watching and going, 'I'm meant to be there,'" she said. "It would have been pretty mega at the time to headline the next woman to do it was Beyonce."
Minogue underwent a lumpectomy, an eight-month cycle of chemotherapy and radiation for treatment. She was declared cancer-free in February 2006 and then continued to take medication for five years.
"The Kylie Effect"
After she went public with her diagnosis, Minogue said, her story prompted many young women to get screened for breast cancer. "I have people tell me to my face, 'Well I went to get checked and I'm now five years cancer-free," she says about the "Kylie Effect."
"Everyone's story is different, but it's a good feeling to know that you've raised awareness and helped people."
When to Get Screened For Breast Cancer
A mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and signs of cancer, is the primary test used to screen for breast cancer. There is some differing opinions of medical organization as to what age to start testing, when to stop testing, and how often to screen. That disagreement can be confusing for women who are trying to figure out when they should get screened.
Still, there is a wide consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54, says Dr. Connie Lehman, chief of the Breast Imaging Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. There is some disagreement over whether mammograms are beneficial for women between the ages of 40 and 45. This is an option you should, of course, discuss with your own doctor.
If you're older than 55, you may continue your annual mammograms or decide to have one every two years. If you're post-menopausal, Dr. Lehman says you may be able to reduce the frequency of your mammograms to every other year.
When You're Getting a Mammogram, Ask About Dense Breasts
The doctors SurvivorNet asked recommend that women make their decision based on personal factors after having a careful conversation with their doctor. A woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn't have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer such as a BRCA gene mutation or a medical history including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30.
Beyond genetics, family history and experience with radiation therapy, experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Connie Lehman, chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, said people who hadn't reached menopause yet should prioritize getting a mammogram every year.
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
"We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving," Dr. Lehman said. "After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years. But what I'm most concerned about is the women who haven't been in for a mammogram for two, three or four years, those women that have never had a mammogram. We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives."
It's also important to be on top of self breast exams. If you ever feel a lump in your breast, you should be vigilant and speak with your doctor right away. Voicing your concerns as soon as you have them can lead to earlier cancer detection which, in turn, can lead to better outcomes.
Understanding Your Breast Cancer Risk
The risk of developing breast cancer varies greatly from person to person, so it's important to discuss your specific risk level with your doctor. That being said, there are some important risk factors to keep in mind.
Major Reduction in Cancer Risk by Following Old Standbys Diet and Exercise
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, laid out several risk factors for breast cancer including:
- Being a woman: Women are at a higher risk for breast cancer, though men can get the disease too.
- Age: "Breast cancer becomes increasingly more common as women age," Dr. Comen said.
- Family history: "Some people think that breast cancer is only inherited through genes on the mom's side,' Dr. Comen said. "But it can also be related to genetic mutations that could be found on the father's side."
- Having had a prior biopsy on an abnormal area: "There are different markers, that if a woman has had a biopsy, it's important that she talk to her doctor about whether those markers are lending themselves to an increased risk of breast cancer," Dr. Comen said. If you've had a biopsy that indicated atypical hyperplasia, for example, you are at an increased risk of breast cancer. Atypical hyperplasia isn't cancer, but it is a precancerous condition that describes an accumulation of abnormal cells in the milk ducts and lobules of the breast.
- Radiation exposure: Cancer survivors who've had radiation to their chest are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
- Lifetime estrogen exposure: "About 2/3 of breast cancer are driven by the hormone estrogen," Dr. Comen said. "So, that means if a woman has had her period at an early age and started to go through puberty at an early age, at seven, eight, nine, and potentially a later age of menopause, means that her lifetime of having had menstrual periods and being exposed to higher levels of estrogen is higher, and therefore her risk of breast cancer is slightly higher."
- Not having a child before age 30 or never having children
- Obesity
- Drinking alcohol
- Lack of exercise: "While there's more research to be done in this area, it looks like if a woman is not exercising, she may also increase her risk for breast cancer," Dr. Comen said.
Alcohol Can Increase the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer
Know the Signs of Breast Cancer
It's always important to stay on top of any changes to your health and address them promptly. Signs and symptoms of breast cancer can include the following:
- A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
- Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast
- Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
- A newly inverted nipple
- Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
- Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange
It's important to keep an eye out for these symptoms while remembering that having one or many of them does not necessarily mean you have breast cancer. Regardless, you should always speak with a doctor right away if anything ever feels off or you're experiencing one or more of the signs listed above. You never know when speaking up about your health can lead to a very important diagnosis.
Contributing: SurvivortNet Staff
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