Embracing the Changing Seasons, Let’s Talk About Lasting Breast Health Through Life’s Seasons
November invites reflection — a moment to slow down, reconnect, and check in with your well-being. As the leaves fall and we draw closer to the people we love, it’s also the perfect time to understand how our health evolves and what care looks like in each season of life.
Your breast health journey isn’t a straight line. It’s a story that unfolds decade by decade, with each chapter bringing its own wisdom, its own challenges, and its own opportunities for care.
In Your 30s–40s: When Everything Feels Busy
These are the years when life moves fast. You’re building careers, caring for others, and trying to find balance. Your body is keeping pace too.
Breast tissue during these years can be denser — a bit like a foggy fall morning, masking early signs of cancer and making detection more difficult. Hormonal changes can also cause natural monthly shifts, and pregnancy or perimenopause may add even more variation to the picture.
According to the American College of Radiology (ACR), establishing a baseline mammogram at age 40 helps radiologists track subtle changes over time and create your personal “breast map.” This early benchmark gives your care team the best chance to detect differences years down the road — even before you can feel them.
These are the years to build your foundation: understanding your risk factors, learning your body’s normal patterns, and making screening a regular part of your wellness routine.
In Your 50s–60s: The Plot Twist No One Tells You
Many women assume that as we age, detection becomes harder — but the opposite is often true. After menopause, breast tissue often becomes less dense for many women, which can make mammograms clearer and easier to interpret — though everyone’s experience is different, and some women maintain denser tissue well into their later years. But regardless of density, every mammogram at every age provides valuable information about your breast health. Together, these images create a record that helps radiologists detect even the smallest changes over time.
The Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) emphasizes that regular mammography remains essential in these decades, as breast cancer risk actually increases with age, even when symptoms aren’t present. Yet somewhere along the way, many women are told they’re “aging out” of risk. Maybe a friend says she stopped screening. Maybe it feels like you’ve “done your time.” But this is precisely when staying consistent matters most. Continuing annual mammograms through your 50s and 60s saves lives every day.
In Your 70s and Beyond: The Chapter That Demands to Be Written
According to national cancer data from the American Cancer Society, about one in four new breast cancer diagnoses occur in women aged 70 or older — a reminder that screening remains essential later in life. These cancers tend to be slower-growing, which means they are often highly treatable when found early.
Your body may be slowing down in some ways, but your need for screening isn’t one of them. “Feeling fine” is wonderful — but it’s not a substitute for preventive care. Many of the most successful treatment stories come from women who felt perfectly healthy when their mammogram revealed something too small to feel.
“At CRL Women’s Imaging, we understand that breast health is not one-size-fits-all,” says Dr. Jillian Karow, Medical Director of CRL Women’s Imaging. “Every woman’s journey is unique, and our role is to provide expert, compassionate care tailored to where you are in life. Whether it’s your first mammogram or your twenty-fifth, we’re here to support you with the most advanced technology and personalized attention.”
The Gratitude Connection You Might Not Expect
Science and gratitude might seem worlds apart — but they’re more connected than you’d think. Research shows that people who regularly practice gratitude are 25% more likely to maintain preventive health routines.
Why? Because gratitude changes perspective. When we appreciate what our bodies have done — carried us through milestones, challenges, and moments of joy — we begin treating them with the care they deserve.
Knowledge replaces fear with confidence. Understanding what’s normal for your age helps you worry less about what’s not. Awareness doesn’t create fear — it transforms it into empowerment.
This November: A Different Kind of Gratitude Practice
As you gather with the women in your life this month — friends, family, neighbors, coworkers — take a moment to really see them. Each of you is in a different chapter of the same story. One may be getting her first mammogram. Another may be overdue. Someone else may think she’s too old to schedule one.
If you’re due — or maybe a little overdue — for your own mammogram, this is the perfect time to make it happen. Before the rush of the holidays and the renewal of many insurance benefits, take care of the appointment that’s easy to postpone but so important for your peace of mind.
Some insurance plans reset in January, while others follow a fiscal-year schedule, so checking your coverage now can help you make the most of your benefits before they renew. Regardless of your plan’s timing, November is an ideal opportunity to pause, prioritize yourself, and take this important step for your health.
As an ACR-designated Breast Center of Excellence, CRL Women’s Imaging is here to make screening comfortable, supportive, and seamless — so you can step into the holiday season with confidence and calm.
The Legacy You’re Building
The women who came before us taught us strength, perseverance, and selflessness. We watched them care for everyone else first — and we often do the same.
But here’s what they might not have known: caring for yourself isn’t selfish. It’s essential. When you schedule your mammogram, you’re not just caring for yourself today — you’re modeling self-care for the generations of women who come after you. You’re choosing presence over absence, action over worry, wisdom over fear.
That’s not just healthcare. That’s love in its most practical form.
📞 Your Next Step
Our team will care for you the way you care for the people you love — with compassion, expertise, and respect.