The Important of Breast Cancer Screenings
- Patsy Kensit, who starred in the 1989 film “Lethal Weapon 2,” is encouraging other women to prioritize health screenings and shared a photo of herself in an MRI machine to raise awareness on the importance of checking for breast cancer.
- The 57-year-old actress and singer lost her mom Margaret Kensit to breast cancer in 1993.
- The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
- For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
- It’s important to note that women with the BRCA gene mutation, who have a family history of cancer, or have dense breasts are at higher risk and should talk with their doctor about when to begin screening. It may be younger than 40.
- SurvivorNet experts recommend performing a monthly breast self-exam to look for anything unusual with your breasts because it can help catch breast cancer between regularly scheduled mammograms.
The 57-year-old TV star, who lost her mom Margaret Kensit to breast cancer in 1993, took to social media this week to show herself getting an MRI and reminding fans to schedule cancer screenings.
Read More“Please be vigilant.”
Breast Cancer: Prevention & Screening
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Fans were quick to praise Kensit for her warning, “Great reminder to us Gals, my mom survived thankfully, but you’re right prevention is key.”
Another wrote, “Absolutely! Don’t ignore symptoms, unfortunately cancer doesn’t just “disappear” on its own! Great reminder to all women Patsy.”
Since Kensit’s mom passed away on December 18, she often remembers her mom by sharing heartfelt social media posts on that solemn day.
Back in 2022, she wrote alongside a photo of her beloved mom, “The saddest day every year. Today is the anniversary of the passing of my beautiful mum. I have never gotten over her death.
“Her fight with cancer for over 25 years was the bravest battle I have ever witnessed. My boys and my loss are heavens gain. Life is so short. I love you mum.
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Recounting her mom’s death in an earlier interview, she explained on ITV1’s Lorraine, “I was so young. Tragically in 1972, I was four, my mother was 33, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and that was in the 70s, so you know, they gave her weeks to live.
“She fought the most incredible battle.”
Kensit added, “Every day I never saw her cry, I said goodbye to her probably about seven or eight times by the time I was 11. She’d go in and out of remission.
“She defied all of her diagnosis, they were astounded… I get choked up talking about it. She was so amazing and so positive.”
The emotional mom of two continued, in the 2018 conversation which has been shared on YouTube, “She lost the battle when I was 23, my eldest son who is 26, he was one. There’s not a day goes by when I don’t think about my mum and both my boys, they talk about Grandma in heaven.
“She’s just such an inspiration and a fighter. My dad, he was in and out of prison as I was growing up, so I don’t know what would have happened to my brother and me had she not hung in there.”
Kensit admitted that her mom’s arduous cancer journey led her to start getting screened for mammograms, both through mammograms and ultrasounds, in her early 20s.
She remains grateful to not have had any “signs” of breast cancer, and hopes her story will encourage others to be proactive when it comes to their health.
However, back in 2013, Kensit underwent a hysterectomy to remove the uterus and the attached cervix after large tumors were discovered. And two years prior to that she reportedly had an 18-inch tumor removed from one of her ovaries.
Helpful Information About Breast Cancer Screening
Since Kensit has a higher risk of getting breast cancer since her mother battled the disease, it’s important to understand when women should begin screening for this disease.
The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives. For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
Expert Resources on Breast Cancer Screening
- Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening
- Tattoo Ink Can Complicate Breast Cancer Screenings; Here’s What You Need to Know About Detection and Screening
- The Mammogram Debate: Should Women Start Breast Cancer Screening at 30?
- Women Should Now Start Getting Mammograms at 40, Expert Panel Suggests: The Benefits and Potential Risks of Earlier Breast Cancer Screening
- I Have Dense Breasts. Do I Need a 3D Mammogram?
- 3D Mammography Detects 34% More Breast Cancers Than Traditional Mammography
- Bi-Annual Mammograms At Age 40 Now Recommended For Most Women, What The New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Mean For You
- How to Avoid False Positive Cancer Results in Women With Dense Breasts: Ultrasounds Used in Addition To Mammograms
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have 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 age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
WATCH: Understanding the BRCA gene mutation
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.
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Family History & Breast Cancer Risk
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age
- Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Added exposure to estrogen
- Having children after the age of 30
- Exposure to radiation early in life
- Family history of the disease
RELATED: Is Genetic Testing Right for You?
Different types of genetic testing can help people with a family history of cancer better ascertain their cancer risks. Your doctor will discuss your family history of cancer with you in the context of your type of tumor and your age at diagnosis. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.
About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
“We encourage only those with a family history to get [genetic testing],” Dr. Ginsburg previously told SurvivorNet. “I would say that if you have anyone in your family diagnosed with a rare cancer. Or if you have a strong family history of one or two kinds of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian, but also colon, rectal, uterine, and ovarian cancer, that goes together in another cancer syndrome called the Lynch Syndrome.
The second test involves the genetic sequencing of your tumor if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer by this point. These genetic changes can be inherited, but most arise during a person’s lifetime. This process usually involves examining a biopsy or surgical specimen of your tumor. This testing can lead to decisions on drugs that might work against your cancer.
“Digital mammography, it turns out, significantly improves the quality of the mammogram… It’s 3D or tomosynthesis mammography,” Dr. Lehman explains.
“This allows us to find more cancers and significantly reduce our false-positive rate. With digital mammography 3D tomosynthesis, we’re taking thin slices through that breast tissue, like slices of a loaf of bread. We can look at each slice independently rather than trying to see through the entire thickness of the entire loaf of bread. So those thin slices help us find things that were hidden in all the multiple layers,” Dr. Lehman adds.
Additional testing can be considered for dense breasts, depending on a woman’s personal history, preferences, and her physician’s guidance.
Coping After Losing A Parent To Cancer
Going through stages of grief is something everyone deals with after a friend or loved one passes away from cancer. When you lose a parent to cancer, especially if it happens at a younger age, that feeling of loss and sadness can really linger.
But that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
‘Therapy Saved My Life’: After Losing A Loved One, Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
In the case of Camila Legaspi, who lost her mom to breast cancer when she was in high school, she previously told SurvivorNet that the tragedy of losing a parent as a teenager kind of defined her high school experience.
After going off to college, she was able to turn that huge sense of loss that she felt into inspiration for creating.
“I actually took this sadness and let it motivate me,” Legaspi previously told SurvivorNet. “I learned that it’s OK to be sad sometimes. It’s OK to carry sadness with you. It’s not always a bad thing. It makes you who you are and it gives you a story to tell and it helps you teach other people to cope with their sadness.”
Legaspi, who is one of four siblings, described her mom as a very creative person. She said she turned to writing as an outlet and used her mother’s creativity as a motivator.
She went to Princeton University and got involved with the school’s magazine. She explained that instead of thinking of the loss of her mother as something terrible that happened to her family, she has let it serve as inspiration for poetry, fiction, or whatever else she may be inspired to write.
“I’ve learned to have it impact me in a positive way, and have it not just be a sad story, instead, I’m using it for a better purpose,” Legaspi said.
In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Caleb Farley opened up to us about his mother’s battle with breast cancer.
His mother fought two battles with cancer and he watched as she went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy while still working and taking care of their family.
Having lost his mom to breast cancer in 2018, he knew he wanted to be extra careful during the pandemic. When he had the chance to play as a cornerback for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team, he backed out due to COVID-19 concerns.
Farley announced the news of his decision not to play with Virginia Tech in an Instagram video saying, in part, “I cannot afford to lose another parent or loved one. Though the competitor in me badly wants to play this season, I cannot ignore what’s going on in my heart, and I must make the decision that brings me the most peace.”
(Farley trained for the NFL Draft instead of playing for Virginia Tech, and his efforts paid off. In the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans selected Farley as the number 22 overall pick.)
Today, Farley is taking the many life lessons he learned from her and applying them to whatever challenges he faces in life.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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