Breast Health 101: What Every Woman Should Know
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and you'll see pink everywhere. But awareness only matters when it leads to action. So let's skip the ribbons for a minute and cover the basics: the numbers, your risk, when to get screened, and how to know what's normal for you.
The numbers worth knowing
1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Apart from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women.
The numbers also give real reasons for hope. When diagnosed in an early, localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is over 99%, and there are over 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
Research is a big part of that progress. The V Foundation for Cancer Research has invested over $42.2 million in breast cancer research, and its funded breast cancer researchers have worked on 188 clinical trials. The foundation credits this kind of investment with helping raise the five-year survival rate of breast cancer to 92%. (That 92% covers all stages combined. The over-99% figure is for cancers found early, which is exactly why screening matters.)
Step 1: Know your risk
Every woman's breast cancer risk is different, and knowing yours shapes everything else. Dr. Melissa Pilewskie, a breast surgical oncologist and co-director of the Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer at University of Michigan Health, puts it simply: "Women should know their risk because it can impact your screening recommendations".
She also explains that studies show people often misjudge their risk in both directions. Overestimating it causes unnecessary worry, and underestimating it can make people less likely to follow through with screening.
Start by learning your family history on both your mom's and your dad's sides. About 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are inherited due to genetic factors. If cancer runs in your family, ask your provider whether genetic testing makes sense for you.
Step 2: Know when to get screened
In 2024, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its guidance: women ages 40 to 74 should be screened for breast cancer every two years. Before that, the Task Force advised starting no later than 50.
Dr. Jessica Bensenhaver, Director of the Breast Oncology Program at Henry Ford Health, explains why starting earlier matters. Mammograms are meant to catch breast cancer at its earliest stages, when it's most treatable, and delays in screening can lead to more advanced, complex cases. She calls the updated guidelines a good thing, noting that starting screening earlier improves our chances of lowering breast cancer deaths for all women, including Black women.
Experts don't all agree on how often, though. Dr. Pilewskie at U-M Health recommends that average-risk women start screening at 40 with a mammogram once a year, with different recommendations for those at higher risk. The best plan is the one you make with your own provider.
In your 20s and 30s? Screening still starts with a conversation. The Rogel Cancer Center follows national guidelines that recommend women ages 25 to 39 have a breast exam by their doctor every one to three years and ask for a breast cancer risk assessment.
Step 3: Read the "density" line on your report
Since 2024, the FDA requires the inclusion of breast density assessment in mammography reports. Your report will tell you whether your breast tissue is dense or not dense.
Dense tissue is common, but it matters. As Michigan health officials explain, extremely dense breast tissue can mask or hide breast cancer, and it also increases your risk. If your report says "dense," don't panic. Ask your provider whether additional screening is right for you.
Step 4: Be breast self-aware
Between screenings, get to know how your breasts normally look and feel. You don't need a complicated monthly routine. Just pay attention. As Michigan Medicine's breast imaging team puts it, being breast self-aware is how you'll know there has been a change.
Tell your provider about any new lump or thickening, changes in size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple changes or discharge, or redness. Most changes aren't cancer, but a change is always worth a call.
Step 5: Support your body every day
Some risk factors, like age and genetics, are out of our hands. But Dr. Pilewskie notes that maintaining a healthy BMI, increasing physical activity, and limiting alcohol intake can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week.
Your one thing this October
At AwearMarket, we always say: your healthy journey starts with one thing.
This month, pick yours:
- 40 or older: Book your mammogram today.
- Under 40: Ask your provider for a breast cancer risk assessment at your next visit.
- Already booked: Text a friend, sister, or your mom and ask if she has booked hers.
Awareness starts with knowing. Action starts with one call.
Every order can fund the research
Research is how survival rates keep climbing, and you can be part of it. When you check out at AwearMarket, you'll see an option to round up your order and donate the difference to the V Foundation for Cancer Research. A few cents from each of us adds up to real dollars for the scientists working on better ways to prevent, detect, and treat cancer.
We chose the V Foundation because every dollar donated directly goes to work. The foundation awards 100% of direct donations to cancer research and programs, because its endowment covers administrative expenses. That puts it in the top 2% of charities nationally.
It's one small click with a big ripple. Thank you for rounding up with us!
Melissa Coulier | Brand & Welleness Officer
This post is for general education and isn't medical advice. Please talk with your healthcare provider about your personal risk and screening plan.
Sources
- American Cancer Society, 2026 Breast Cancer Statistics
- V Foundation for Cancer Research, Women's Health Research (v.org/womens-health)
- Henry Ford Health, "When Should You Get a Mammogram?" with Dr. Jessica Bensenhaver
- University of Michigan Health, Dr. Melissa Pilewskie (via WLUC, Oct. 2025)
- Michigan Medicine Health Lab, "Breast Cancer Screening 101"
- University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Breast Cancer Detection
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Breast Cancer Screening (2024)
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services