Oct. 1, 2026
Breast Cancer Awareness Month Begins: 13 Years Ago Today, October 1st Saved My Life
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RSS Feed Today marks the 41st anniversary of a month created to bring awareness and save lives for millions of women around the world. October 1st is the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness month and to mark that day 13 years ago, Amy had a mammogram on live national television to remind women to make their own potentially life saving appointments. It was that scan that ultimately led to a stage 2 breast cancer at the age of 40. Today, the American Cancer Society wants women and men to know their risks, know the warning signs and help provide the information and resources available. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, but the earlier its detected, the better chance of surviving it.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, everybody.
00:00:03
Speaker 2: Today is a very important day on the calendar. It is October 1st. That means it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or as I like to call it, the day that saved my life. And with that, everyone, welcome to Amy and TJ. Yes, it is, in fact, Thursday, October 1st. And I forget about this day sometimes, and then it hits me, holy hell, 13 years ago, I walked into a mammoth and got a mammogram on national television, and it led to my breast cancer diagnosis. And it was a day that changed my life for the better for the rest of my life.
00:00:43
Speaker 3: Are there stats on the increases they have in screenings that happened in October?
00:00:49
Speaker 2: I don't have that stat, but certainly this month puts the idea that women need to remember to make and keep their mammogram appointments regularly. And for a lot of women, this month is that reminder. It's that moment where you say, oh my goodness, it's been a year. It's been two years. I need to get to my doctor or I've never done it before. And yes, it's scary. And I think that's a lot of the reason why women don't go in and get their mammograms because they're afraid of the outcome. It sounds wild, but that is actually what a lot of women report. And so this month is important because it kind of forces us to accept that the fact that this is one of the most deadliest diseases for women around the world.
00:01:37
Speaker 3: But it's also, is it not, one of the most survivable cancers if you catch it, and you have to catch it early, and that has to do with screenings, and there's still some, I don't know, no, excuse me, let me not say that. What is the recommendation now? When are people supposed to be screened?
00:01:52
Speaker 2: I'm glad you asked, because I will answer that with, it changes constantly. And when I went into that mama van back in 2013, the recommendation was 50. If you had no family history of breast cancer, you could wait until you were 50. And so I was planning on it. The only reason why I walked into that mammogram at the age of 40 was because I got the assignment from Good Morning America to do so. And it's varied, but here are the current recommendations. Right now, according to the American Cancer Society, women between the ages of 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram.
00:02:31
Speaker 1: That's a little tough for a lot of women, because if you're.
00:02:33
Speaker 2: Telling me I have the option to go into a mammogram, to get a mammogram, I'm going to probably opt out. And so that's to me why that's a little bit dangerous, but that is the recommendation.
00:02:43
Speaker 3: Wait, what does that mean? You have the option.
00:02:45
Speaker 2: Meaning your insurance will pay for it, but you kind of have to ask for it. And it might depend on what your provider tells you. But I do want to make this statistic very clear to anyone listening. I think a lot of us, I certainly felt protected from this disease because no one in my family had ever had it. My mom is one of nine. My dad is one of six. I have countless aunts and female cousins and grandparents. And at that point, no one in my family, no female had ever had breast cancer, but more than 80% of breast cancer patients have no family history. So I just hate for to have a false sense of security because we hear that and we think, oh, I'm probably good.
00:03:26
Speaker 1: I can wait. I don't need to get a mammogram.
00:03:28
Speaker 2: I would just, that's why I felt like it was important to tell my story and to retell my story because it can happen to younger women and it does.
00:03:37
Speaker 3: But still, if you have a family history that, statistics still show you are at an increased risk.
00:03:42
Speaker 2: Absolutely at an increased risk, but it shouldn't make people feel like if they don't have a family history that they're all good, which is what I actually truly believed until I got my own diagnosis. But the official recommendation is that women starting at 45 to 54 should get a mammogram every single year. And then once you reach the age of 55, the recommendation is you can switch to a mammogram every other year, or you can keep getting them yearly.
00:04:09
Speaker 1: It's up to you.
00:04:11
Speaker 3: How do insurance companies handle this? Do they have a requirement when they're supposed to start covering mammograms, or they just make the decision on their own?
00:04:18
Speaker 2: I believe it is a decision, but once you have a recommendation from an organization like the American Cancer Society, at 45 it's guaranteed. At 40, it's unclear. I can also tell you this interesting fact about my experience. So I had that first mammogram done in the mama van and I got a report back saying they saw something that was unusual and I should get a follow-up mammogram. Sent the screenings to my OBGYN who said, you know what? It's probably nothing, but let's go ahead and get you a follow-up mammogram at NYU's Cancer Center. The day before my scheduled repeat mammogram I got a call from NYU, my insurance company, and I had a great insurance company with one of the biggest, most respected companies in the world, Disney. They rejected my doctor's recommendation and they denied covering my second mammogram. And I will tell you, for that moment, I thought about just canceling it and saying, this is ridiculous. My doctor said it's probably nothing anyway. And I asked, how much is it going to cost me? And they said out of pocket, at least $ 800, but it could be more depending on how many images we have to take. And look, I was lucky enough to have $ 800 of expendable income that I could go ahead and say, sure. But $ 800 for a lot of.
00:05:34
Speaker 1: Women, that's rent. That's your food money. That's money you need to live.
00:05:39
Speaker 3: Is there a standard cost to a mammogram? I mean, generally, it's going to be at least blank. I don't know a range. You said like follow-ups. It could have kept going up or whatever it is, but... Is there? I mean, I have no idea.
00:05:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, 13 years ago, I was told in New York City to get a mammogram out of pocket was going to be a minimum of $ 800.
00:05:58
Speaker 1: We can't do that.
00:06:01
Speaker 3: I don't know what to do about that thing, Robes. There is not a... Just got to be free. I mean, I don't know what to say here. Of all the things we tackle and we pay for, if you really... I'm not sorry. I'm not getting on to the president for the war, but I'm saying we can come up with all kinds of cash, robes, I will sign me up if you say free mammograms.
00:06:38
Speaker 1: Exactly.
00:06:39
Speaker 3: Anybody who wants one can walk in and get one once a year, free, starting at whatever age that the breast cancer organizations tell us. and leave it at that.
00:06:49
Speaker 2: It would be wonderful if our government stepped up to the plate like that in prevention, because as you pointed out, the earlier you find your breast cancer, the better chance you have of surviving it, period. If you get a stage one to three diagnosis, the advancements we've made in treatment options, in drug options, our chance of surviving is significantly higher than it was even 20 years ago, 30 years ago. But if you are diagnosed with stage four breast cancer- And that can happen at any point.
00:07:19
Speaker 1: It is right now.
00:07:20
Speaker 2: And it remains a terminal diagnosis, meaning they can obviously prolong your life, but they cannot guarantee it. You will die of it unless there's some medical miracle, some, and I do believe we're close to finding something close to that. And women are living longer and longer with stage four, but it is a scary and right now terminal diagnosis. And so, yes, we need mammograms. We need women to find their cancers earlier rather than later, period. And some, plenty of organizations out there provide services like Mammavans. They'll go to underserved communities, they'll make it more convenient, and yes, they will make it free, but it is certainly not something that is offered to every woman or certainly not paid for or funded by the government.
00:08:07
Speaker 3: And that's just, this seems like an easy one. I'm just saying, why would anybody be turned away? Why would anybody, right? In your situation, yes, you were blessed. But if another woman was told it didn't have your set of circumstances, it's going to be an extra $ 800. We're not going to cover you to get this other thing. And that other thing is a thing that caught your can't like that one. We could be losing people and end up a stage four instead of a stage one or two. It could have been that type of thing. I don't Why aren't we doing something about that?
00:08:38
Speaker 1: We are losing people, and that is true.
00:08:40
Speaker 2: If I had not gone back, and I'm telling you, even with my financial situation, I almost said, that's ridiculous. I'm not paying out of pocket for something I probably don't even need anyway, again, because I'm thinking, I have no family history. The likelihood of me having cancer is actually so minimal, this is a waste of my time and money. Thankfully, because I had pressure from my family saying, please, please, please go do this, I walked in that next day And five hours later, I was told I had breast cancer. And it couldn't have been more shocking. It couldn't have been more devastating. It was the worst day of my life. And it was also, in a lot of ways, the best day of my life because I changed how I live from that day forward.
00:09:21
Speaker 1: And as scary as those words are, you have breast cancer, they're empowering too.
00:09:26
Speaker 2: Because once you have that information, you can take the next best step People are afraid, women are afraid to find out if they have breast cancer. The anxiety and anticipation of that prevents women from finding out where they are. But the point is, knowledge is power. And when you get this diagnosis, as awful as it is, you now have options. When you wait, you run out of them. And that is what's scary.
00:09:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a weird mindset. It's not how women, it's like a dumb thing men do, right? If it ain't bleedin', if it ain't broken, then I ain't going to the doctor. There's no reason. This idea that you just would rather not know. You're hoping for the best and you'd rather not know because robes, if you can't even afford the mammogram, what happens if they do diagnose you with something? Now, what, am I supposed to miss work? Now I got to pay for all these medical treatments? I just, and yeah. I don't know if something could be done about this. It's such a devastating disease that it seems like robes. We have the ability to almost stop it in its tracks if we put the right effort forth. And again, there's no cure for it. Fine, that work will continue to be done. But the idea, I don't know what age it should even start happening, but girls should be taught about this coming up through school. This is something you got to look out for. This could affect your life. And starting at what age should.
00:10:49
Speaker 2: It be, baby?
00:10:50
Speaker 1: Look, and it differs. That's the point.
00:10:52
Speaker 3: It differs.
00:10:53
Speaker 2: And look, I was diagnosed at 40, but I had two tumors that had already spread to my lymph nodes. And by my doctor's diagnosis, I had had that cancer in me for several years.
00:11:03
Speaker 1: So I was somebody.
00:11:05
Speaker 2: I was one of the unlucky women who developed this cancer in their 30s. But you can develop it in your 20s. There have even been teenagers who have been diagnosed... with breast cancer, I know that is exceptionally rare. But yes, 40 is about when most doctors will say that's when you should start thinking about it.
00:11:21
Speaker 3: When do they say it's too early? Because there's an argument for that as well. What's too early?
00:11:26
Speaker 1: Plenty of... folks will say it's too early because you have denser.
00:11:31
Speaker 2: No, no. Well, some people have said that because you have denser breast tissue, there is a higher likelihood of a false positive. They don't want to cause unnecessary anxiety and unnecessary testing, but you know what? Give me the unnecessary anxiety to be told eventually that I don't.
00:11:45
Speaker 1: Have breast cancer. Let me rule it out.
00:11:48
Speaker 2: Let me, go ahead and have a biopsy to make sure I don't have breast cancer. To me, that far outweighs. Well, people will see, you'll get a mass. It'll be concerning. They'll do a biopsy and it'll be determined that it's not cancer. But when you find a mass or you find something, not every mass, not every lump is cancer. So that makes some people concerned.
00:12:10
Speaker 3: What's the harm in knowing?
00:12:11
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:12:12
Speaker 1: It's money. It's money.
00:12:13
Speaker 2: That's what it is. That's what it comes down to. But my daughters have already been told, and I would say anyone... who has a direct relative who has been a breast cancer patient, and certainly anyone who's had breast cancer pre-menopause, your children, my children, were told to get their first, their baseline mammograms 10 years before my diagnosis. So my daughters will be going in for their mammograms probably in their late 20s.
00:12:39
Speaker 3: I'm sorry, remind me now, there was something they were, but if a woman finds out, okay, a false positive, What was this idea, though, that women would be taking extreme measures, preventative measures or something? Like it could prompt you to take action that's not necessary.
00:12:55
Speaker 2: Well, and that's up for debate as well because you're talking probably most certainly about the double mastectomy. And there's a big argument about that, that there's this false notion that if you get a double mastectomy, somehow you prevent cancer from ever returning or reoccurring. But that is such an individual decision based on the patient and their individual doctors.
00:13:15
Speaker 1: I opted for a double mastectomy.
00:13:17
Speaker 2: At the time, they had only found one mass that was cancerous and they didn't think my lymph nodes had been affected. I opted for the double mastectomy and in that surgery, my surgeon found a second malignant tumor and determined that it had spread to.
00:13:32
Speaker 1: My lymph nodes.
00:13:33
Speaker 2: And so it's an individual decision But there is pressure from insurance companies. There is pressure from surgeons and from physicians to not have what they would call an extreme measure taken. But in some instances, and mine in particular, that measure turned out to be life-saving.
00:13:51
Speaker 3: Tell me, though, if a young woman, there's some argument that if you get screened so early on, you're explaining to me in a way that sounds different. And I think I might have it wrong. But there's an argument that you shouldn't start be screening at 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 because you could possibly put those women in a position based on what those screenings come back with to take an extreme measure based on the screening that they had. Does that make any sense?
00:14:19
Speaker 2: No.
00:14:20
Speaker 3: I have that in my mind. But is that an argument that some are making? Or, babe, is it that some women sometimes take an extreme measure, double mastectomy, based on their family history?
00:14:31
Speaker 2: Well, that is actually encouraged because if you have one of the BRCA genes, absolutely getting a double mastectomy and in some cases having a hysterectomy will absolutely lower your risk of developing breast cancer in the first place. That's what Angelina Jolie did. So there are plenty of women who take that. But if you have been known to find, if you have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, It's absolutely encouraged.
00:14:54
Speaker 3: Then tell me what the downside is or whoever's argument it is.
00:14:57
Speaker 1: It's money, baby. It's money.
00:14:58
Speaker 2: No, no, no. Yes, it is.
00:14:59
Speaker 3: Okay, take the money out of it. Is there an argument besides money for why just every woman should just automatically, starting at adulthood, anybody, you want a mammogram, go get one.
00:15:10
Speaker 2: Okay, if you take the money out of it, then the only argument that I have heard being made is a ridiculous one, the mental health aspect of it, that you have anxiety.
00:15:18
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:15:19
Speaker 2: All right.
00:15:20
Speaker 1: So that's what I've heard.
00:15:21
Speaker 3: Because you get anxious once a year waiting on results.
00:15:23
Speaker 1: Correct.
00:15:24
Speaker 3: Okay. Correct.
00:15:25
Speaker 1: That is the downside.
00:15:26
Speaker 2: But when we come back, we're going to tell you about the breast cancer inequities around the world because on this first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month that began, by the way, back in 1985, it is now a global initiative that needs to be heard around the world. Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ on this first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We said before the break, this is now a global initiative, and it needs to be because the inequities of who dies from this disease are appalling. And this year's theme, by the way, is Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters. This is from the World Health Organization Foundation. And they're trying to push this message around the world to make your mammogram appointments, to keep them, to raise awareness, to find your breast cancer earlier rather than later.
00:16:25
Speaker 1: Because guess what? Listen to these statistics.
00:16:27
Speaker 2: 41% of women in low-income countries survive the first five years. Compare that with 87% of women surviving in the first five years in high-income countries. That is more than double. So that is just awful. And around 70% of all breast cancer deaths occur in low and middle income countries. They don't have access. They don't have awareness. They don't have resources.
00:16:58
Speaker 3: We got all that and we still can't get it right. It's true.
00:17:02
Speaker 1: And just some other statistics just to bring this home.
00:17:04
Speaker 2: I think most people know these now, but just to reiterate, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
00:17:11
Speaker 1: That excludes skin cancers.
00:17:12
Speaker 2: It's the second leading cause of death among women here in the United States behind lung cancer. And one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their life. This year, we're expecting more than 381,000 new cases of breast cancer and 42,000 women will die in the United States this year.
00:17:26
Speaker 1: In 2024 worldwide, almost 700,000 women died.
00:17:39
Speaker 2: And if you think 70% of those deaths occurred in low and middle income countries, we've got a real, real problem. And a lot of it is messaging, but most of it is resources.
00:17:52
Speaker 3: Are we going the right direction, though?
00:17:54
Speaker 2: We are.
00:17:54
Speaker 3: Do we constantly have death rates going down?
00:17:56
Speaker 2: Yes, we are going in the right direction. That is the good news here. And look, the American Cancer Society actually has a Cancer Risk 360 link that they've been putting out there. It's a free assessment. It's not just for breast cancer. It's for any cancer, and it's available to anyone 18 and older. It asks you questions about your health history, your family health history, what your daily habits are. your lifestyle, and it gives you tips on lowering your cancer risk. Do you know, I mean, I think this is fairly common knowledge, but how to lower your cancer risk generally, whether you're a man, a woman, just for all cancers?
00:18:31
Speaker 3: No, you're not supposed to be drinking.
00:18:33
Speaker 1: You're supposed to.
00:18:34
Speaker 2: Limit or completely cut out tobacco and alcohol use. That's the first thing, yes. Your diet matters. What your body mass index matters. How much you exercise matters. Your sun exposure matters. All of those things are important. We know that that absolutely will reduce your risk of cancer if you have a healthy weight, you exercise, you don't drink or you drink a lot less, you don't smoke, and you put on sunscreen.
00:19:04
Speaker 1: We're good on some of those, not great on everything.
00:19:06
Speaker 3: You're right, and I know you're right.
00:19:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, so look, and I have obviously changed so much of how I've lived, because once you have, and I think this is an important thing, and I would like to end on this for all of my sisters out there, and brothers and sisters, because it's always important to note that men, too, do get breast cancer diagnoses, and- 1%.
00:19:29
Speaker 1: 1%.
00:19:29
Speaker 2: It's a small percent, but it's still worth noting that it's not just a female disease. But this, once you get diagnosed with breast cancer, people might come up to you and say, oh, you're in remission, congratulations. And yes, of course, we ring the bell when we finish our chemo treatments. We celebrate when our surgeries are over, but we live with a lifetime of fear. And I think that's something to remember. If you can prevent this disease, if you can catch it early, it's still important to remember this is a disease that stays with you for the rest of your life. If not, if only just mentally, you can take the tests and to find out whether or not you have any tumor markers, if your cancer's returned, but It's always in the back of your head. It's something you're always going to live with, that fear of recurrence. And so it's just a reminder to get checked out, to make those doctor's appointments, to keep those doctor's appointments, and to treat your body as well as you possibly can to live as long as possible. That's what we want for all of our mothers and sisters and aunts. all the people we love in this world to live as long as possible. I've always said, look, if you won't even do it for yourself, because some of us women are into taking care of everyone else. We make sure our kids have their doctor's appointments, but we won't necessarily keep ours. As a gift to them, as a gift to the people who love you, make those appointments. Please, please, please. And recognize that it can happen to you. It can happen to anyone. And the sooner you find out, the better chance you have of surviving it.
00:21:00
Speaker 3: You should do this once a month. Maybe we should do an episode. I'm seriously talking about committing. We should do this once a month, some kind of reminder. I know it's a big push in October, and I understand why, but yeah, it's just one in eight. It means that there's no one on this earth who is not impacted by this. You got somebody in your orbit that has been impacted by breast cancer. It's impossible to get away from, so it impacts us all, and I know. We'll have the push and we'll be doing more this month.
00:21:34
Speaker 1: Yes, we will.
00:21:35
Speaker 3: Cancer Awareness Month. But I was sitting out and you probably saw a smile on my face just listening to you. I was like, oh, she's so cute. That's what I was thinking as you were talking, because this has been obviously and people know why you might be so passionate about it. But I get to see it in a different way. Yes, I have to. Go to a lot of doctor's appointments. Oh, you see breast cancer in a different way. Everybody sees you as thriving. They don't see every six months. We've got to wait for a fucking letter in the mail to get word on everything's all good.
00:22:05
Speaker 1: It's true.
00:22:05
Speaker 2: And every pain, every bump, everything suddenly takes on a new intensity. Oh, my God.
00:22:12
Speaker 3: You're the worst.
00:22:13
Speaker 2: When you've survived cancer because you know it can happen. I say that, babe, because you start Googling stuff.
00:22:18
Speaker 1: Oh, absolutely.
00:22:19
Speaker 2: A bone ache will send me on an absolute death spiral. I get nervous. I get scared. And we have people we love and know who are living with stage four metastatic breast cancer.
00:22:32
Speaker 1: And we see.
00:22:34
Speaker 2: the struggles and what happens to many of these young women who are dealing with this insidious disease. And so, yes, I just hope people can take this day to remember to make your appointments, please, please, please. And yeah, lucky 13. I'm pretty amazed that 13 years later, we still are reminding women and I will continue to do so each and every year. End of the month, October 30th is when I was officially diagnosed That's when I guess I'll celebrate my 13th year Cancerversary. I think it's important to celebrate the wins, but to recognize what's at stake. And so on this October 1st, thank you all for listening. I'm Amy, that's TJ, and we will talk to you soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, everybody.
00:00:03
Speaker 2: Today is a very important day on the calendar. It is October 1st. That means it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or as I like to call it, the day that saved my life. And with that, everyone, welcome to Amy and TJ. Yes, it is, in fact, Thursday, October 1st. And I forget about this day sometimes, and then it hits me, holy hell, 13 years ago, I walked into a mammoth and got a mammogram on national television, and it led to my breast cancer diagnosis. And it was a day that changed my life for the better for the rest of my life.
00:00:43
Speaker 3: Are there stats on the increases they have in screenings that happened in October?
00:00:49
Speaker 2: I don't have that stat, but certainly this month puts the idea that women need to remember to make and keep their mammogram appointments regularly. And for a lot of women, this month is that reminder. It's that moment where you say, oh my goodness, it's been a year. It's been two years. I need to get to my doctor or I've never done it before. And yes, it's scary. And I think that's a lot of the reason why women don't go in and get their mammograms because they're afraid of the outcome. It sounds wild, but that is actually what a lot of women report. And so this month is important because it kind of forces us to accept that the fact that this is one of the most deadliest diseases for women around the world.
00:01:37
Speaker 3: But it's also, is it not, one of the most survivable cancers if you catch it, and you have to catch it early, and that has to do with screenings, and there's still some, I don't know, no, excuse me, let me not say that. What is the recommendation now? When are people supposed to be screened?
00:01:52
Speaker 2: I'm glad you asked, because I will answer that with, it changes constantly. And when I went into that mama van back in 2013, the recommendation was 50. If you had no family history of breast cancer, you could wait until you were 50. And so I was planning on it. The only reason why I walked into that mammogram at the age of 40 was because I got the assignment from Good Morning America to do so. And it's varied, but here are the current recommendations. Right now, according to the American Cancer Society, women between the ages of 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram.
00:02:31
Speaker 1: That's a little tough for a lot of women, because if you're.
00:02:33
Speaker 2: Telling me I have the option to go into a mammogram, to get a mammogram, I'm going to probably opt out. And so that's to me why that's a little bit dangerous, but that is the recommendation.
00:02:43
Speaker 3: Wait, what does that mean? You have the option.
00:02:45
Speaker 2: Meaning your insurance will pay for it, but you kind of have to ask for it. And it might depend on what your provider tells you. But I do want to make this statistic very clear to anyone listening. I think a lot of us, I certainly felt protected from this disease because no one in my family had ever had it. My mom is one of nine. My dad is one of six. I have countless aunts and female cousins and grandparents. And at that point, no one in my family, no female had ever had breast cancer, but more than 80% of breast cancer patients have no family history. So I just hate for to have a false sense of security because we hear that and we think, oh, I'm probably good.
00:03:26
Speaker 1: I can wait. I don't need to get a mammogram.
00:03:28
Speaker 2: I would just, that's why I felt like it was important to tell my story and to retell my story because it can happen to younger women and it does.
00:03:37
Speaker 3: But still, if you have a family history that, statistics still show you are at an increased risk.
00:03:42
Speaker 2: Absolutely at an increased risk, but it shouldn't make people feel like if they don't have a family history that they're all good, which is what I actually truly believed until I got my own diagnosis. But the official recommendation is that women starting at 45 to 54 should get a mammogram every single year. And then once you reach the age of 55, the recommendation is you can switch to a mammogram every other year, or you can keep getting them yearly.
00:04:09
Speaker 1: It's up to you.
00:04:11
Speaker 3: How do insurance companies handle this? Do they have a requirement when they're supposed to start covering mammograms, or they just make the decision on their own?
00:04:18
Speaker 2: I believe it is a decision, but once you have a recommendation from an organization like the American Cancer Society, at 45 it's guaranteed. At 40, it's unclear. I can also tell you this interesting fact about my experience. So I had that first mammogram done in the mama van and I got a report back saying they saw something that was unusual and I should get a follow-up mammogram. Sent the screenings to my OBGYN who said, you know what? It's probably nothing, but let's go ahead and get you a follow-up mammogram at NYU's Cancer Center. The day before my scheduled repeat mammogram I got a call from NYU, my insurance company, and I had a great insurance company with one of the biggest, most respected companies in the world, Disney. They rejected my doctor's recommendation and they denied covering my second mammogram. And I will tell you, for that moment, I thought about just canceling it and saying, this is ridiculous. My doctor said it's probably nothing anyway. And I asked, how much is it going to cost me? And they said out of pocket, at least $ 800, but it could be more depending on how many images we have to take. And look, I was lucky enough to have $ 800 of expendable income that I could go ahead and say, sure. But $ 800 for a lot of.
00:05:34
Speaker 1: Women, that's rent. That's your food money. That's money you need to live.
00:05:39
Speaker 3: Is there a standard cost to a mammogram? I mean, generally, it's going to be at least blank. I don't know a range. You said like follow-ups. It could have kept going up or whatever it is, but... Is there? I mean, I have no idea.
00:05:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, 13 years ago, I was told in New York City to get a mammogram out of pocket was going to be a minimum of $ 800.
00:05:58
Speaker 1: We can't do that.
00:06:01
Speaker 3: I don't know what to do about that thing, Robes. There is not a... Just got to be free. I mean, I don't know what to say here. Of all the things we tackle and we pay for, if you really... I'm not sorry. I'm not getting on to the president for the war, but I'm saying we can come up with all kinds of cash, robes, I will sign me up if you say free mammograms.
00:06:38
Speaker 1: Exactly.
00:06:39
Speaker 3: Anybody who wants one can walk in and get one once a year, free, starting at whatever age that the breast cancer organizations tell us. and leave it at that.
00:06:49
Speaker 2: It would be wonderful if our government stepped up to the plate like that in prevention, because as you pointed out, the earlier you find your breast cancer, the better chance you have of surviving it, period. If you get a stage one to three diagnosis, the advancements we've made in treatment options, in drug options, our chance of surviving is significantly higher than it was even 20 years ago, 30 years ago. But if you are diagnosed with stage four breast cancer- And that can happen at any point.
00:07:19
Speaker 1: It is right now.
00:07:20
Speaker 2: And it remains a terminal diagnosis, meaning they can obviously prolong your life, but they cannot guarantee it. You will die of it unless there's some medical miracle, some, and I do believe we're close to finding something close to that. And women are living longer and longer with stage four, but it is a scary and right now terminal diagnosis. And so, yes, we need mammograms. We need women to find their cancers earlier rather than later, period. And some, plenty of organizations out there provide services like Mammavans. They'll go to underserved communities, they'll make it more convenient, and yes, they will make it free, but it is certainly not something that is offered to every woman or certainly not paid for or funded by the government.
00:08:07
Speaker 3: And that's just, this seems like an easy one. I'm just saying, why would anybody be turned away? Why would anybody, right? In your situation, yes, you were blessed. But if another woman was told it didn't have your set of circumstances, it's going to be an extra $ 800. We're not going to cover you to get this other thing. And that other thing is a thing that caught your can't like that one. We could be losing people and end up a stage four instead of a stage one or two. It could have been that type of thing. I don't Why aren't we doing something about that?
00:08:38
Speaker 1: We are losing people, and that is true.
00:08:40
Speaker 2: If I had not gone back, and I'm telling you, even with my financial situation, I almost said, that's ridiculous. I'm not paying out of pocket for something I probably don't even need anyway, again, because I'm thinking, I have no family history. The likelihood of me having cancer is actually so minimal, this is a waste of my time and money. Thankfully, because I had pressure from my family saying, please, please, please go do this, I walked in that next day And five hours later, I was told I had breast cancer. And it couldn't have been more shocking. It couldn't have been more devastating. It was the worst day of my life. And it was also, in a lot of ways, the best day of my life because I changed how I live from that day forward.
00:09:21
Speaker 1: And as scary as those words are, you have breast cancer, they're empowering too.
00:09:26
Speaker 2: Because once you have that information, you can take the next best step People are afraid, women are afraid to find out if they have breast cancer. The anxiety and anticipation of that prevents women from finding out where they are. But the point is, knowledge is power. And when you get this diagnosis, as awful as it is, you now have options. When you wait, you run out of them. And that is what's scary.
00:09:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a weird mindset. It's not how women, it's like a dumb thing men do, right? If it ain't bleedin', if it ain't broken, then I ain't going to the doctor. There's no reason. This idea that you just would rather not know. You're hoping for the best and you'd rather not know because robes, if you can't even afford the mammogram, what happens if they do diagnose you with something? Now, what, am I supposed to miss work? Now I got to pay for all these medical treatments? I just, and yeah. I don't know if something could be done about this. It's such a devastating disease that it seems like robes. We have the ability to almost stop it in its tracks if we put the right effort forth. And again, there's no cure for it. Fine, that work will continue to be done. But the idea, I don't know what age it should even start happening, but girls should be taught about this coming up through school. This is something you got to look out for. This could affect your life. And starting at what age should.
00:10:49
Speaker 2: It be, baby?
00:10:50
Speaker 1: Look, and it differs. That's the point.
00:10:52
Speaker 3: It differs.
00:10:53
Speaker 2: And look, I was diagnosed at 40, but I had two tumors that had already spread to my lymph nodes. And by my doctor's diagnosis, I had had that cancer in me for several years.
00:11:03
Speaker 1: So I was somebody.
00:11:05
Speaker 2: I was one of the unlucky women who developed this cancer in their 30s. But you can develop it in your 20s. There have even been teenagers who have been diagnosed... with breast cancer, I know that is exceptionally rare. But yes, 40 is about when most doctors will say that's when you should start thinking about it.
00:11:21
Speaker 3: When do they say it's too early? Because there's an argument for that as well. What's too early?
00:11:26
Speaker 1: Plenty of... folks will say it's too early because you have denser.
00:11:31
Speaker 2: No, no. Well, some people have said that because you have denser breast tissue, there is a higher likelihood of a false positive. They don't want to cause unnecessary anxiety and unnecessary testing, but you know what? Give me the unnecessary anxiety to be told eventually that I don't.
00:11:45
Speaker 1: Have breast cancer. Let me rule it out.
00:11:48
Speaker 2: Let me, go ahead and have a biopsy to make sure I don't have breast cancer. To me, that far outweighs. Well, people will see, you'll get a mass. It'll be concerning. They'll do a biopsy and it'll be determined that it's not cancer. But when you find a mass or you find something, not every mass, not every lump is cancer. So that makes some people concerned.
00:12:10
Speaker 3: What's the harm in knowing?
00:12:11
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:12:12
Speaker 1: It's money. It's money.
00:12:13
Speaker 2: That's what it is. That's what it comes down to. But my daughters have already been told, and I would say anyone... who has a direct relative who has been a breast cancer patient, and certainly anyone who's had breast cancer pre-menopause, your children, my children, were told to get their first, their baseline mammograms 10 years before my diagnosis. So my daughters will be going in for their mammograms probably in their late 20s.
00:12:39
Speaker 3: I'm sorry, remind me now, there was something they were, but if a woman finds out, okay, a false positive, What was this idea, though, that women would be taking extreme measures, preventative measures or something? Like it could prompt you to take action that's not necessary.
00:12:55
Speaker 2: Well, and that's up for debate as well because you're talking probably most certainly about the double mastectomy. And there's a big argument about that, that there's this false notion that if you get a double mastectomy, somehow you prevent cancer from ever returning or reoccurring. But that is such an individual decision based on the patient and their individual doctors.
00:13:15
Speaker 1: I opted for a double mastectomy.
00:13:17
Speaker 2: At the time, they had only found one mass that was cancerous and they didn't think my lymph nodes had been affected. I opted for the double mastectomy and in that surgery, my surgeon found a second malignant tumor and determined that it had spread to.
00:13:32
Speaker 1: My lymph nodes.
00:13:33
Speaker 2: And so it's an individual decision But there is pressure from insurance companies. There is pressure from surgeons and from physicians to not have what they would call an extreme measure taken. But in some instances, and mine in particular, that measure turned out to be life-saving.
00:13:51
Speaker 3: Tell me, though, if a young woman, there's some argument that if you get screened so early on, you're explaining to me in a way that sounds different. And I think I might have it wrong. But there's an argument that you shouldn't start be screening at 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 because you could possibly put those women in a position based on what those screenings come back with to take an extreme measure based on the screening that they had. Does that make any sense?
00:14:19
Speaker 2: No.
00:14:20
Speaker 3: I have that in my mind. But is that an argument that some are making? Or, babe, is it that some women sometimes take an extreme measure, double mastectomy, based on their family history?
00:14:31
Speaker 2: Well, that is actually encouraged because if you have one of the BRCA genes, absolutely getting a double mastectomy and in some cases having a hysterectomy will absolutely lower your risk of developing breast cancer in the first place. That's what Angelina Jolie did. So there are plenty of women who take that. But if you have been known to find, if you have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, It's absolutely encouraged.
00:14:54
Speaker 3: Then tell me what the downside is or whoever's argument it is.
00:14:57
Speaker 1: It's money, baby. It's money.
00:14:58
Speaker 2: No, no, no. Yes, it is.
00:14:59
Speaker 3: Okay, take the money out of it. Is there an argument besides money for why just every woman should just automatically, starting at adulthood, anybody, you want a mammogram, go get one.
00:15:10
Speaker 2: Okay, if you take the money out of it, then the only argument that I have heard being made is a ridiculous one, the mental health aspect of it, that you have anxiety.
00:15:18
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:15:19
Speaker 2: All right.
00:15:20
Speaker 1: So that's what I've heard.
00:15:21
Speaker 3: Because you get anxious once a year waiting on results.
00:15:23
Speaker 1: Correct.
00:15:24
Speaker 3: Okay. Correct.
00:15:25
Speaker 1: That is the downside.
00:15:26
Speaker 2: But when we come back, we're going to tell you about the breast cancer inequities around the world because on this first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month that began, by the way, back in 1985, it is now a global initiative that needs to be heard around the world. Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ on this first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We said before the break, this is now a global initiative, and it needs to be because the inequities of who dies from this disease are appalling. And this year's theme, by the way, is Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters. This is from the World Health Organization Foundation. And they're trying to push this message around the world to make your mammogram appointments, to keep them, to raise awareness, to find your breast cancer earlier rather than later.
00:16:25
Speaker 1: Because guess what? Listen to these statistics.
00:16:27
Speaker 2: 41% of women in low-income countries survive the first five years. Compare that with 87% of women surviving in the first five years in high-income countries. That is more than double. So that is just awful. And around 70% of all breast cancer deaths occur in low and middle income countries. They don't have access. They don't have awareness. They don't have resources.
00:16:58
Speaker 3: We got all that and we still can't get it right. It's true.
00:17:02
Speaker 1: And just some other statistics just to bring this home.
00:17:04
Speaker 2: I think most people know these now, but just to reiterate, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
00:17:11
Speaker 1: That excludes skin cancers.
00:17:12
Speaker 2: It's the second leading cause of death among women here in the United States behind lung cancer. And one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their life. This year, we're expecting more than 381,000 new cases of breast cancer and 42,000 women will die in the United States this year.
00:17:26
Speaker 1: In 2024 worldwide, almost 700,000 women died.
00:17:39
Speaker 2: And if you think 70% of those deaths occurred in low and middle income countries, we've got a real, real problem. And a lot of it is messaging, but most of it is resources.
00:17:52
Speaker 3: Are we going the right direction, though?
00:17:54
Speaker 2: We are.
00:17:54
Speaker 3: Do we constantly have death rates going down?
00:17:56
Speaker 2: Yes, we are going in the right direction. That is the good news here. And look, the American Cancer Society actually has a Cancer Risk 360 link that they've been putting out there. It's a free assessment. It's not just for breast cancer. It's for any cancer, and it's available to anyone 18 and older. It asks you questions about your health history, your family health history, what your daily habits are. your lifestyle, and it gives you tips on lowering your cancer risk. Do you know, I mean, I think this is fairly common knowledge, but how to lower your cancer risk generally, whether you're a man, a woman, just for all cancers?
00:18:31
Speaker 3: No, you're not supposed to be drinking.
00:18:33
Speaker 1: You're supposed to.
00:18:34
Speaker 2: Limit or completely cut out tobacco and alcohol use. That's the first thing, yes. Your diet matters. What your body mass index matters. How much you exercise matters. Your sun exposure matters. All of those things are important. We know that that absolutely will reduce your risk of cancer if you have a healthy weight, you exercise, you don't drink or you drink a lot less, you don't smoke, and you put on sunscreen.
00:19:04
Speaker 1: We're good on some of those, not great on everything.
00:19:06
Speaker 3: You're right, and I know you're right.
00:19:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, so look, and I have obviously changed so much of how I've lived, because once you have, and I think this is an important thing, and I would like to end on this for all of my sisters out there, and brothers and sisters, because it's always important to note that men, too, do get breast cancer diagnoses, and- 1%.
00:19:29
Speaker 1: 1%.
00:19:29
Speaker 2: It's a small percent, but it's still worth noting that it's not just a female disease. But this, once you get diagnosed with breast cancer, people might come up to you and say, oh, you're in remission, congratulations. And yes, of course, we ring the bell when we finish our chemo treatments. We celebrate when our surgeries are over, but we live with a lifetime of fear. And I think that's something to remember. If you can prevent this disease, if you can catch it early, it's still important to remember this is a disease that stays with you for the rest of your life. If not, if only just mentally, you can take the tests and to find out whether or not you have any tumor markers, if your cancer's returned, but It's always in the back of your head. It's something you're always going to live with, that fear of recurrence. And so it's just a reminder to get checked out, to make those doctor's appointments, to keep those doctor's appointments, and to treat your body as well as you possibly can to live as long as possible. That's what we want for all of our mothers and sisters and aunts. all the people we love in this world to live as long as possible. I've always said, look, if you won't even do it for yourself, because some of us women are into taking care of everyone else. We make sure our kids have their doctor's appointments, but we won't necessarily keep ours. As a gift to them, as a gift to the people who love you, make those appointments. Please, please, please. And recognize that it can happen to you. It can happen to anyone. And the sooner you find out, the better chance you have of surviving it.
00:21:00
Speaker 3: You should do this once a month. Maybe we should do an episode. I'm seriously talking about committing. We should do this once a month, some kind of reminder. I know it's a big push in October, and I understand why, but yeah, it's just one in eight. It means that there's no one on this earth who is not impacted by this. You got somebody in your orbit that has been impacted by breast cancer. It's impossible to get away from, so it impacts us all, and I know. We'll have the push and we'll be doing more this month.
00:21:34
Speaker 1: Yes, we will.
00:21:35
Speaker 3: Cancer Awareness Month. But I was sitting out and you probably saw a smile on my face just listening to you. I was like, oh, she's so cute. That's what I was thinking as you were talking, because this has been obviously and people know why you might be so passionate about it. But I get to see it in a different way. Yes, I have to. Go to a lot of doctor's appointments. Oh, you see breast cancer in a different way. Everybody sees you as thriving. They don't see every six months. We've got to wait for a fucking letter in the mail to get word on everything's all good.
00:22:05
Speaker 1: It's true.
00:22:05
Speaker 2: And every pain, every bump, everything suddenly takes on a new intensity. Oh, my God.
00:22:12
Speaker 3: You're the worst.
00:22:13
Speaker 2: When you've survived cancer because you know it can happen. I say that, babe, because you start Googling stuff.
00:22:18
Speaker 1: Oh, absolutely.
00:22:19
Speaker 2: A bone ache will send me on an absolute death spiral. I get nervous. I get scared. And we have people we love and know who are living with stage four metastatic breast cancer.
00:22:32
Speaker 1: And we see.
00:22:34
Speaker 2: the struggles and what happens to many of these young women who are dealing with this insidious disease. And so, yes, I just hope people can take this day to remember to make your appointments, please, please, please. And yeah, lucky 13. I'm pretty amazed that 13 years later, we still are reminding women and I will continue to do so each and every year. End of the month, October 30th is when I was officially diagnosed That's when I guess I'll celebrate my 13th year Cancerversary. I think it's important to celebrate the wins, but to recognize what's at stake. And so on this October 1st, thank you all for listening. I'm Amy, that's TJ, and we will talk to you soon.