Even so, mammograms miss at least 20 percent of breast cancers, according to Breast Cancer Action, a San Francisco-based organization for breast cancer survivors and their families. It's crucial to get your mammogram at a certified facility and follow up with your doctor. You're never too old to practice early-detection strategies. The older you are, the higher your risk of developing breast cancer. So it's a good idea for women to continue with mammograms, clinical exams and breast self-exams into their 70s and 80s.
Breast cancer can recur any time.
No matter how long ago a woman was treated for the disease, it may still return to the same area or to another organ, according to Breast Cancer Action. Although around 95 percent of breast cancer patients live at least five years past their diagnosis, the organization says, only half of them survive 20 years. However, the longer you go without a recurrence, the higher your chances get of staying cancer-free. Eating right and exercising may reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Not smoking can improve your breast health.