Hologic Launches Campaign to Debunk Breast Cancer Myths

Hologic kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month by ringing the Nasdaq opening bell for the 18th year. As part of this annual tradition, the company launched a comprehensive patient education campaign to bust common myths about breast cancer, mammograms, and breast density.
 
Hologic’s #BustTheMyth campaign debuts at a critical moment for women. Earlier this year, the United States Preventive Services Taskforce released updated breast cancer screening guidelines.
 
Breast cancer remains the world’s most common cancer in women,¹ impacting 1 in 8 women throughout their lifetime.² When detected early, breast cancer is highly treatable, with a five-year survival rate of 99%.³ Despite the prevalence of breast cancer and the benefits of early detection, more than 40% of women in the United States reported skipping potentially life-saving breast cancer screenings.⁴ 
 
“As a leading women’s health organization, we are committed to supporting women at every stage of their health journey and that includes advocating for change and increasing awareness about the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection,” said Steve MacMillan, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hologic. “There are many harmful myths about mammograms that keep women from understanding their risks and getting screened annually. We want to empower women with facts so they can prioritize themselves and take charge of their health with confidence.”   
 
Hologic’s educational campaign addresses many deterrents to screening by dispelling common myths and helping women learn the truth about who needs mammograms and more.
 
“At Hologic, we are committed to continually advancing technology and improving patient outcomes across the continuum of breast health,” said Erik Anderson, Hologic’s President of Breast and Skeletal Health Solutions. “But we know that world-class technology alone won’t decrease rates of death from breast cancer. It also takes empowering and practical education, and #BustTheMyth adds to our extensive history of public outreach – all in our commitment to saving and improving more lives.”
 
Myth: I don’t have a family history of breast cancer, so I don’t need to worry.  
Truth: While genetics can be a factor, 85% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history.⁵   
 
Myth: I can tell if my breasts are dense by feeling them.  
Truth: Breast density cannot be felt. It is determined by a mammogram.⁶ Having dense breasts increases your risk of breast cancer,⁷ which makes annual screening especially critical.
 
Also, this month, new reporting standards from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration went into effect that require mammography facilities to notify patients about their breast density. These changes make education and awareness even more important for women who are trying to understand screening guidelines or who may not know why their breast density matters.  
 

References:

¹ National Cancer Institute. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results. SEER Stat Fact Sheets 2013: Breast. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html  
² Cancer.org. How Common Is Breast Cancer? https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20average%20risk%20of,will%20never%20have%20the%20disease  
³ National Breast Cancer Foundation. Breast Cancer Facts. https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-facts/  
⁴ Hologic. The Screening Action Gap: Why U.S. Women Miss Critical Health Screenings. https://hologic.womenshealthindex.com/en/hologic-us-health-survey?atr=false
⁵ Breastcancer.org. Breast Cancer Facts and Statistics. www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics 
⁶ Dense Breast Info. Patient questions and answers. www.densebreast-info.org/patient-questions-and-answers/  
⁷ Mskcc.org. Dense Breast Tissue & Cancer Risk: What You Should Know. www.mskcc.org/news/what-women-should-know-about-breast-density-and-cancer-risk