Breast cancer may be the last thing on your mind this Fourth of July holiday weekend, but medical experts say holiday gatherings are a perfect opportunity to talk with relatives about family medical history.
“Often times we may not know our family history. When you get together for holidays and birthdays it’s important to say ‘here’s what’s going on in our family history. Here’s what we need to tell each other to keep everyone safe and practice preventative medicine with,’” said Sandy Voss, a nurse practitioner with Bayhealth oncology.
Voss said anyone with a sibling, child or parent with breast cancer is at a higher risk of getting the disease.
If you have a parent or sibling with breast cancer, it’s recommended you get a screening 10 years before the age your family member was when he or she was diagnosed.
If you don’t have a family history of breast cancer, Bayhealth recommends beginning regular screenings at age 40.
Bayhealth is offering free breast cancer screenings to everyone at its Dover campus Wednesday, July 5 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Free screenings will also be available at its Milford campus on Tuesday, July 11 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
To register for an appointment, call Harriet Pinkston at 302-744-6719.