Women should start having this conversation at age 25

A breast cancer diagnosis is life-altering for any patient, something Wendy Bingham, a nurse practitioner with a focus in breast health at Advocate Health Care, knows all too well.

Bingham was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 36. “I know exactly what my patients are facing and what challenges they’ll go through as part of their journey,” says Bingham.

Bingham is vocal for women to be an advocate for their health – no matter their age.

“Breast cancer rates are on the rise among young women,” states Bingham. A study published in the JAMA Network Open is sounding the alarm on this statistic. The study followed more than 500,000 individuals, both men and women, between 2010 to 2019. Among all the early onset cancer cases, breast cancer resulted in the highest number of diagnoses.

She shares researchers don’t exactly know what is driving the high rate of breast cancer diagnoses. “It may be because the conversation is evolving, and more women are getting their mammograms. We may be finding cancers at earlier stages due to a wide variety of environmental and lifestyle factors,” says Bingham.

It’s recommend that women discuss their family history of breast cancer with their primary care or OB/GYN provider starting at age 25. Your doctor will assess if you’re average, intermediate or high risk for breast cancer.

Dr. Bingham answers common questions about being high risk for breast cancer:

Who is considered high-risk?

Patients who have one or more of the following are considered high risk for breast cancer:

• A family history of ovarian cancers
• A family history of multiple cancers on one side of the family
• Early or late menopause
• Dense breast tissue
• Women 30 years or older who have not had a child
• A family member who has a gene mutation

What advice would you share for women who may be worried to find out their risk level?

Knowledge is power. Be an advocate for yourself. Once a patient has the information on their risk factors, the best feeling is leaving the doctor’s office with a sense of empowerment.

What happens at a high-risk breast clinic appointment?

The high-risk breast clinic team closely collaborates with primary care and OB/GYN providers who refer patients to the high-risk clinics.

Within the high-risk clinics, patients have a dedicated team of breast clinicians that may include a fellowship breast surgeon, certified breast nurse navigator, genetic counselor, and nurses and medical assistants, who are specifically focused and trained in breast health. The nurse navigator assists patients with appointment scheduling, answers any questions about their care plan and guides them through their overall journey at the clinic.

Our goal is to reduce apprehension or anxiety a patient may experience as they are on their breast health journey, shares Bingham.

What may result from a visit to the high-risk breast clinic?

Visits to the high-risk breast clinic focus on monitoring your breast health and cancer risk. This may include:

• Additional screenings such as MRIs and ultrasounds.
• Creating risk reduction strategies focused on diet modifications such as switching to a Mediterranean diet. This diet consists of less processed foods and more healthy fats like salmon and olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption and eliminating smoking.
• Preventive treatment options such as chemotherapy.
• The high-risk breast clinic team also works directly with mammographers, breast ultrasound technicians and doctors from radiology and oncology to provide the best treatment and outcomes.

Want to learn more about your risk for breast cancer? Take a free online quiz here.