Jameela on Mortality
- Actress, TV host, and podcaster, Jameela Jamil, 34, shared with her followers recently how she uses the knowledge of her own mortality to make each day count.
- Jamil had a breast cancer scare in the past after discovering a lump; women should regularly perform self-checks at home.
- Mammograms are recommended for women to screen for breast cancer. Current American Cancer Society guidelines recommend beginning to screen at age 40 if you are of average risk; women with elevated breast cancer risk should start screening earlier.
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Jameela’s Breast Cancer Scare & Self-Checks
After a doctor discovered a lump in her breast in 2015, Jamil went through a breast cancer scare. Thankfully, the lump was not malignant. Having three women in her family who had breast cancer, the discovery of the lump was eye-opening for Jamil. In 2015, she said of the incident, “That scare shocked me to the core, that's for certain, but I felt so lucky to be alive,” reports The Independent.
Women should regularly perform breast self-checks at home, in addition to having screenings at the doctor. The National Breast Cancer Foundation advises the following methods for doing these checks:
- While standing straight in front of a mirror, place your hands on your hips and look at your breasts for any swelling, bulging, changes in the shape of breast or nipple (inverted), redness, rashes, or any fluid leaking. Then do the same with your arms in the air.
- Next, while lying down, use your right hand to examine your left breast and vice versa, while using your first three fingers to apply pressure. Ensure you cover the entire breast area, from your collarbone to below your ribcage and from your armpit to your cleavage area. Do the same self-exam standing or sitting up. Be sure to use light to medium pressure for the middle breast area and firmer pressure when feeling deep breast tissue.
Getting to Know Your Breasts with Self-Exams
Mammogram Screenings
Mammograms are used to detect lumps in the breast and spot signs of cancer. This breast cancer screening method is advised for women beginning at age 40, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), if a woman is at average risk for developing breast cancer. For those who are at a higher risk of breast cancer, such as women who have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation or those who have a family history of breast cancer, they should start screening earlier than 40.
Related: What is a BRCA Mutation?
Dr. Connie Lehman, the director of breast imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital, says in an earlier interview, “If you haven’t gone through menopause yet, I think it’s very important that you have a mammogram every year. We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving. 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,” she says.
Related: When You're Getting a Mammogram, Ask About Dense Breasts
“Every doctor that I know, every organization that I know really encourages women to have a mammogram,” Dr. Lehman says. “I want to be completely clear. If you are between 50 and 74 and you have not had a mammogram in the last two years, you are overdue. Please get a mammogram. We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives.”
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
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