Breast Cancer Awareness Month: An inside look at the importance of early detection

It’s rare, but breast cancer has been found in women, even in their 20’s and 30’s. Knowing your family history can be life-changing and for News 11’s Jenny Day, that meant starting mammograms at just 27. For a special report during breast cancer awareness month, she invited us into the doctor’s office.

Statistics show, if there are just eight women in a room, one has or will develop breast cancer.

“I lost both of my parents to cancer and I myself had cancer before the age 26 – so family history isn’t in my favor, but that’s why I feel so lucky I can use this platform, and help raise awareness and do some good in this world,” Jenny Day said.

Today’s guidelines call for mammograms to begin at age 40 unless you’re at a higher risk.

“If mom or sister has it, we recommend mammograms ten years earlier,” Dr. Robert Yacullo said who is the Medical Director of Imaging at the Sharp Memorial Outpatient Pavillion in San Diego. “The idea with a mammogram is that we identify something before you can ever feel it.”