HAMPTON,Va. — According to the JAMA Network, a new study suggests that Black women should get mammograms earlier than usual.
Previously, doctors suggested getting screenings at age 50, but now health professionals say Black women should get checked as early as 42.
Barbara Harris, a cancer survivor, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 47.
Harris said her gynecologist found a lump during her annual appointment.
She sent me to get a mammogram, however, the mammogram didn't detect it," Harris said.
Two months later, Harris got a biopsy, then received her breast cancer diagnosis.
Harris urges all women to take breast cancer seriously and get mammograms as often as their doctors suggest.
According to a study from the JAMA Network, Black women have a 4% lower rate of contracting breast cancer, but they have a 40% higher rate of dying from it.
Dr. Dennis Walker, the chief of radiology at the Hampton VA Medical Center says Black women have denser breast tissue which is hard to detect on a mammogram machine
"It requires a little bit more energy to get through the breast, so it looks very busy in terms of the image," said Walker.
Walker mentioned that Black women also tend to have a higher risk of getting triple-negative breast cancer which is known to be aggressive. The cause can range anywhere from genetics to health behavior.
"Which is traditionally seen in younger women sometimes around ages less than 40. If you catch it late it can spread to other places," said Walker.
Dr. Walker recommends getting a mammogram every year starting at age 40, but if you have significant risk factors, he recommends 10 years earlier.
To learn more about the new study, click here.
