October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when breast cancer screenings are promoted, breast cancer survivors are honored, the public is educated about risk factors for developing breast cancer, and funding is raised for breast cancer research.
Did you know, that in the U.S.:
- In 2025, an estimated 316, 950 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer? This translates to a woman diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes!
- The median age of breast cancer diagnosis is 62? The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing steadily in recent years, particularly among younger women.
- The breast cancer mortality rate has decreased by 44% since the 1980s? Early detection through increased awareness and screening, improved treatments and advances in understanding breast cancer biology have contributed to this decline.
The Breast Care Center at CommonSpirit Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary breast care which includes a wide range of clinical and support services. Their High-Risk Breast Clinic is designed to help women learn if they are at a high risk for breast cancer and what they should do if they are at risk. A multidisciplinary breast cancer clinic reviews each patient’s case, including their breast imaging and pathology. Up-to-date treatment options, clinical trials and potential barriers to care are discussed. Patients are supported by a team that includes dedicated specialists from radiology, pathology, medical oncology, breast surgery, radiation oncologists, nurse navigators and oncology social workers.
According to Dr. Nicole Choy, a board-certified surgical oncologist with CommonSpirit Breast Surgeons Colorado Springs, at 6031 E. Woodmen, Suite 250BC in Colorado Springs, breast cancer awareness and education has been moving towards individualized care over the past five to 10 years. Personalized breast cancer risk assessment goes beyond the one-size-fits-all approach of age-based screening recommendations and considers an individual’s personal risk factors — from family history to breast density and genetics.
“As we learn more about the biology of breast cancer, one of the exciting things in breast cancer treatment is personalized care. Through shared decision making with patients, we strive to create comprehensive and personalized treatment plans,” said Dr. Choy. “For medical oncologists, personalized care includes precision therapy with targeted therapies for hormone positive breast cancers, antibody-drug conjugates in Her2-positive breast cancer and immunotherapy in triple negative breast cancer.”
Even those without a family history of cancer should still get a mammogram. The American College of Radiology recommends annual mammograms starting at age 40. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends biennial mammograms from ages 40-74. The American Cancer Society recommends that women at average risk of breast cancer start annual screen mammograms from ages 40-45, then every two years starting at age 55. Your healthcare provider can share his or her thoughts about when to start — and how often — to screen for breast cancer. They can also help you determine if genetic testing is appropriate if you have a family history of multiple cases of breast cancer, a first degree relative diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age, a close relative diagnosed with ovarian, pancreatic or metastatic prostate cancer, are of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry plus a family history of breast, ovarian or prostate cancer.
For those diagnosed with breast cancer, genetic testing is recommended if you were diagnosed before age 50, have triple negative breast cancer, Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, male breast cancer, multiple family members with breast cancers or other types of cancers such as ovarian or fallopian tube, pancreatic or prostate cancer.
“Breast cancer risk assessment tools can be used to estimate risk and help counsel patients who are at higher-than-average breast cancer risk,” said Dr. Choy, who completed her breast cancer fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine.
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer, there are ways to lower your risk, including:
- Maintaining a healthy weight, especially after menopause.
- Exercising regularly (150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week).
- Limiting or avoiding alcohol consumption.
- Eating a healthy diet focused on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, with limited red meat and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages and highly processed foods.
- Quitting smoking.
- Limiting Hormone Replacement Therapy.
How will you celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month? You can check in with those who are living with or have been affected by the disease, schedule your mammogram, learn more about the disease, and/or support research and programs.
CommonSpirit offers a full range of breast health and screen services focused on caring for every aspect of a woman’s breast health, including a high-risk breast clinic. Care at CommonSpirit is inspired by faith, driven by innovation, and powered by humanity. Learn more at CommonSpirit Health | Health Care in Colorado, Kansas & Utah.
This article also appeared in The Gazette on 10/9/2025.
