Know your breast cancer risk. Take the Right Action

Right Action for Potentially High Inherited Risk

If your Right Action test said you showed a potential high risk for inherited breast cancer, it's important that you talk to your doctor about genetic counseling and testing.

And if your healthcare provider also determines that you have a high risk for breast cancer, here are some things you can do to lower your risk and maybe learn to detect cancer in its earliest stages, when it's most treatable.

Risk-Reducing Actions

There are a lot of lifestyle changes you can make to lower your breast cancer risk. And they'll make you healthier overall, no matter what, including:

  • Regular exercise
  • A healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables
  • Limited alcohol

Learn more about these lifestyle choices and other risk-reducing actions here.

Genetic Counseling and Testing

A genetic counselor can really help you understand your inherited risks. He or she can also talk to you about the different screenings and risk-reducing choices you have. A genetic counselor can help you decide if genetic testing is right for you, too. Genetic tests can tell you even more about your risk factors and help you decide what action to take. Just click here to learn more about genetic counseling and screening.

Enhanced Screening/Surveillance

If you've got a potentially high inherited risk for breast cancer, it's important to talk to a health care professional as soon as possible. Because you should probably start screening for cancer at an earlier age than other women.

Screenings for women with potentially high risk may include:

  • Mammography every year beginning at age 25
  • Alternate MRI every year beginning at age 25
  • Clinical breast exam every 6 months beginning at age 25
  • Monthly self-breast exam beginning at age 18

If you've got a higher risk for breast cancer, your health care professional will also want you to think about ovarian cancer. The two can be connected, so your doctor will also probably recommend an ovarian cancer screening.

Learn more about different types of screenings.

Risk-Reducing Medications and Surgery

One of the most reassuring things to know when you have potentially high breast cancer risk is that there are medications and surgical options that can lower your risk tremendously. They include:

  • Risk-reducing medicine
  • Prophylactic (preventive) surgery

When you're thinking about these options, it's extremely important to talk to a healthcare professional you trust and get all the information you can. They can help you weigh the risks and benefits. Also, talk to other women who have gone through this before, or who are going through it now.