Breast Cancer Scares Me

Despite the fact that I surely know better far, far better, actually I have to admit that the thought of breast cancer scares me to death.

It turns out I'm not the only woman out there dreading the diagnosis of breast cancer. On the iVillage Breast Cancer Support board, women report that they're "worried to the point of tears," "nervous" about finding a lump, scared about their scheduled lumpectomy. Still other iVillagers have triumphed over breast cancer as you can see in our survivors' photo gallery.

The American Cancer Society reports that the number of women getting routine mammograms has fallen 2%, which means that fewer women are being diagnosed. A recent iVillage Index poll reveals that 63% of respondents answer "yes" to having ever skipped a yearly mammogram. Why are women not getting screened?

When asked in a national poll about the influence of lifestyle choices on preventing heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, breast cancer and depression, the majority of women feels that breast cancer is more the result of "luck of the draw" vs. lifestyle choices that they make.

- Have a clinical breast exam every three years (if you are under the age of 40)

- Get a mammogram every one to two years after age 40 (or possibly sooner or more often if you're at higher risk for developing breast cancer)

I'm no longer the traumatized young teen in the hallway outside my grandmother's hospital room. I'm now a wife, mother, executive, aunt, philanthropist. I've had my own share of health scares.

My kids are the ones who motivate me to get screened. My younger guy asks me periodically if a newscast triggers the thought, "hey mom, did you get the boob-o-gram?"