Headquartered in Tampa, Moffitt Cancer Center is at the forefront of cancer research and treatment. We talked to one of its experts, Dr. Avan Armaghani, about the state of breast cancer in America today.
QUESTION: Breast cancer death rates have been decreasing over the years. Why is that?
ANSWER: According to the American Cancer Society, there’s been an overall decline of 42% in death rates from 1989 through 2021, and I think that is attributed to three things. One is earlier and more effective therapies for stage 1 to 3 breast cancer. Then, for your stage 4 breast cancer patients, we have more effective therapies in that population where patients are now living longer with good quality of life with metastatic breast cancer. Third, I think there’s been tremendous improvements in screening modalities and also increased awareness and education on the importance of screening and early detection.
Q: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended that regular mammograms start at age 40, and women ages 40 to 74 should get screened every other year. Do you agree?
A: I think those recommendations still fall a little short, because we do recommend starting at the age of 40, but we recommend annual mammograms every year and not every two years. We know that mammograms save lives, and by detecting breast cancer earlier, it also reduces the severity of treatment, whether that be with chemotherapy or the type of surgical intervention that’s required. … If you go every two years, you run the risk of missing your window for early detection and less intensive types of treatments and interventions.
And one in six breast cancers occur in women between the ages of 40 to 49, so that’s why it’s important to start screening at the age of 40.
Q: What’s been the biggest change in breast cancer treatment in recent years?
A: It’s a very exciting time. We have come so far in the treatment of breast cancer, both early-stage and in the metastatic setting. Before, all we knew was chemotherapy, but now we have moved to more personalized therapies — treatments that are tailored to the individual — because we know that no two breast cancers are the same, no two patients are the same.
Q: What else do you think the general public should know about breast cancer?
A: It’s really important to understand what your risk is for breast cancer. That can just start with a conversation with your primary care physician. … I think it’s also important if you notice any differences or changes in your breast or you feel something that is just different, bring that up to your doctor as soon as possible. It’s really important not to be shy or bashful about this, and really be an advocate for yourself and speak up. Because we know that if we catch breast cancer early, it’s curable.