Talking To Your Daughter About Breast Health Could Be Her Key To Early Detection

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PHILADELPHIA, April 16, 1996 -- Hereditary breast cancer accounts for five to ten percent of all breast cancers. And if a woman has a high incidence of ovarian or breast cancer in her family, there could be an 85 percent chance she or her daughters will also get the disease.

According to Dr. Lori Jardines, assistant professor of surgery at Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University and director of breast surgery at Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital, talking to your daughter about her breast health could be her key to early detection and possibly even save her life.

Dr. Jardines suggests that mothers start with breast health maintenance education. "Mothers should teach their daughters about breast self examination and how and when to do them," she says.

According to Or. Jardines, young women should be doing breast self exams by age 20 in order for them to become familiar with their bodies. "Even though it is unlikely that women of this age will get breast cancer and lumps in teenagers are mostly benign," she says, "learning how to do self exams will teach young women to know their bodies and catch any problems early."

Learning about breast health with their mothers can also help allay young women's fears. Mothers can teach their daughters about risk and the importance of early detection, especially lf they've experienced any breast health problems themselves. For example, if a woman finds a lump in her breast, she could show her daughter and let her feel it, so she knows what a potentially problem lump really feels like.

Teaching daughters about mammograms and other preventive measures is also a good idea according to Jardines. Some mothers even feel comfortable bringing their daughter with them when they get a mammogram.

"This could help demystify the concept and take away the fear of the unknown. They can see that it doesn't hurt and it's not frightening. This will help the next generation realize that having mammograms is part of being a woman just like gynecological examinations," says Dr. Jardines.

The mammogram, though, is only one part of what Dr. Jardines calls a "three-prong approach" to breast cancer prevention. In addition to mammograms, women of all ages should do breast self exams and have clinical breast exams by a health care professional. Also, mothers and daughters together should maintain a healthy lifestyle which includes exercise and low-fat diet.

CONTACT Merrill S. Meadow, 215-762-8284, or Emily Spitala 215- 441-6662, both of MCP-Hahnemann University Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital