75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history

Greenwood, Indiana — This month is a great time for women to schedule or go to health checkups as May is National Women’s Health Month.

“The goal is to empower women to make their health a priority and help women understand what steps they can take to improve their health,” Emily Bolin, a mammography technologist for Northwest Radiology in Greenwood said.

Steps that women can take to improve their health include routine checkups, checks on issues like blood pressure, a Pap smear, and a colonoscopy.

According to Bolin, one of the most important exams for women over 40 is the annual mammogram, and all women should have a breast cancer risk assessment by age 30.

Women do not need a doctor’s order for a screening mammogram.

75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history, according to Bolin.

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:

• A new lump in the breast or underarm
• Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
• Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
• Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or breast
• Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
• Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
• Pain in any area of the breast