Casey Bowers, CEO and Principal Consultant at Constant Method, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“When people find out I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January, the first question I almost always get is: “Do you have a family history?”
No, I don’t. They are surprised by that and I think that it’s because of my age.
I have no significant family history that would put me at high risk. No genetic mutation. Just me, a 36 yr old new mom, finding it myself through a self-exam.
Here’s the thing though. I’m not the exception. I’m actually the norm.
About 90% of breast cancer patients have no significant family history or genetic mutation. I’ll say that again. 90%.
And here’s what makes that even scarier.
The current recommendation is for women to start getting mammograms at 40. I’m 36.
And breast cancer in women under 40 is on the rise.
But something is changing, and it’s a big deal.
New guidelines recently dropped that use AI to look at your mammogram not just for what’s there right now, but to predict your risk over the next 5 years. It’s a shift from detection to prediction. And it starts at 35.
A tool called Clairity Breast is the first FDA-approved version of this. Right now it’s only available at a few healthcare centers, but patient demand is part of what’s going to push this into more places. So asking your doctor about it matters.
For women like me, who don’t check the traditional “high risk” boxes, this could be everything.
I kept saying I wish I could have caught it sooner. But what if we didn’t have to wait until we have it? What if we could have the power to prevent it?
This is what AI being used for good looks like.
Sharing a link in the comments to learn more about it, thanks to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.”
Other articles about Breast Cancer on OncoDaily.