Nurse Maureen‘s Health Show

Breast Cancer Risk? This 15-Minute Test Could Save Your Life

• Maureen McGrath

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Speaker 1:

Good evening and welcome to another episode of Nurse Maureen's Health Show podcast. I'm Maureen McGrath, registered nurse, nurse competence advisor, sexual health educator, and I wanted to talk to you about something really important tonight. It's about breast cancer risk calculation. Have you ever wondered how doctors estimate a woman's risk of developing breast cancer? One of the most widely used tools is the Tyra Cusick Risk Calculator, also known as the IBI-esque risk tool. Well, this tool helps healthcare professionals determine a woman's likelihood of developing breast cancer over the next 10 years and over her lifetime. So it's especially helpful for identifying women who may benefit from earlier screening, genetic counseling or even preventive strategies like medication or surgery or even reduction in alcohol consumption.

Speaker 1:

What makes the Tyra Cusick unique, you might be thinking. Well, it's one of the most comprehensive breast cancer risk models, because it looks at both your family history, including both close and distant relatives with breast or ovarian cancer, personal risk factors like age, weight, height, age at first period, age at menopause, whether you've had children or not. It looks at your breast density, whether you have C or D, and even whether you've used hormone replacement therapy. And it can also incorporate BRCA1 and 2 gene status, if known, which makes it incredibly useful for women with strong family histories of breast cancer or cancer. Why does this matter? You're probably thinking Because early detection and risk reduction saves lives. With this particular calculator, clinicians can tailor screening plans, like recommending mammograms before the age of 40 or using MRI instead of mammograms for high-risk women, and it also helps inform decisions around risk-reducing medications like tamoxifen. So who should consider this assessment? I actually think every woman should. Anybody with breasts, women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, those with dense breasts, like breast density C or D, and that makes it more difficult to see masses on a mammogram. So you might need an ultrasound or an MRI actually to have a further look and a more comprehensive assessment. And then anyone curious about their own breast cancer risk, especially if personalized screening is being considered. So you'll get two numbers your 10-year risk and your lifetime risk, and if your lifetime risk is 20% or more, you're considered high risk under many guidelines, including those from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and National Association Menopause Society, and this may change how often and how early that you're screened. So if you're wondering about your own risk or think your family history might put you at higher risk, ask your healthcare provider about the Tyra Cusick model, because knowledge is power and in this case it might be life saving.

Speaker 1:

And you know just a little bit of more of a deeper dive into the Tyra Cusick model. It's generally considered a reliable tool for estimating breast cancer risk, especially among women with a family history of disease or those with other risk factors. It's often used in conjunction with mammograms to help guide screening and risk management strategies. It's important to remember that the model provides a risk estimate, not a definitive prediction, and its accuracy can be influenced by many factors. But studies have shown that the TYRER-QZIK model is a good predictor of breast cancer risk, especially for women with that family history or other risk factors. It's consistent in its predictions, meaning it tends to give similar risk estimates for individuals with comparable risk factors. It's a good calibration. It has shown good calibration, so it accurately estimates the risk of breast cancer development in the population it's used on and the model considers various factors like family history, age, as I mentioned, bmi, body mass index, benign breast disease and other risk factors as well. So it might be something that you would like to try. I thought we'd do it online here on the podcast tonight, so if you want to go to magviewcom. They have the IBS desk risk calculator, and so let's go.

Speaker 1:

So the first question is have you ever been diagnosed with breast cancer? And they actually want me to fill it out Before they ask you about your age 25. How old are you? Anyway? Throw your age in there, whatever it is. Age is like a phone number and mine's unlisted. No, I'm not 177 years old. Anyway, pop your age in your current height and weight. That's another something else you might not want to share with the masses, but anyway, nonetheless, I've entered mine. Have you ever had a menstrual period? If you can remember the age at which you had your first menstrual period, they'd like you to have that information. They want your stage of menopause premenopausal, perimenopausal, postmenopausal, I don't know, you know, and just enter your number. I've actually done this before myself and you know. Happily, I have to say I had a very low risk of the low risk, of the 10 year risk and also the lifetime risk as well.

Speaker 1:

Asking about if you've ever used hormone replacement therapy, because that can increase your risk as well. And do you know if you have a mutation in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene? And one of the answers is not tested. A lot of women have not had that test done. Have you ever had a breast biopsy? Yes, no, prior biopsy. It asks to give you results. Or have you had ovarian cancer? Have you had other cancers like colorectal or pancreatic or prostate cancer? This test is not limited to women, I might add as well, because men although it's a significantly lower number, men can get breast cancer. Also, they want to know your breast density, and now mammograms are more likely to report breast density and it's a good idea to know what your breast density is.

Speaker 1:

And the test carries on. I won't go through the entire test because I've actually missed one of the questions here. They're telling me it must have been about my age. The numbers didn't add up and they noted it. That also helps for its accuracy. It asks about how many children that you have had. Have you given birth to one or more children? They want to know all of your children's ages and how old you were when you had a baby, or had your first baby, in fact, because all of this is important in terms of assessing your risk.

Speaker 1:

But this is a very comprehensive test, comprehensive test. They also look at your family history and they're looking at your paternal aunts and paternal half-sisters and your maternal, grandmother, maternal aunts, and so they really go through everybody and they assess their risk as well of you know, breast cancer and other cancers like ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, you know. So it's important you fill in all of that information and, you know, try and get the most accurate information. They do actually have many different options that you can say so anyway. So they estimated my risk to be less than 20%. It's based on my lifetime risk is 2.5% and the US population average lifetime risk is 9.8% for women of the same age.

Speaker 1:

So, you know, I just want to say this is just important information. You might want to try it. It might take, you know, 10 or 15 minutes of your time and it can actually put your mind at ease or help you to get the right preventive strategies to help you to prevent breast cancer. Anyway, thanks so much for tuning in Once again. If you think there's anybody that you know that might benefit from hearing this episode, please feel free to share it with them.

Speaker 1:

I'm Maureen McGrath, registered nurse, nurse, continence advisor, sexual health educator, and tonight we were talking about the Tyra Cusick risk calculator for breast cancer. Thanks so much for tuning in. As always. I appreciate it. Gentlemen, let's talk tech for your tool. The Firm Tech Ring is revolutionizing erections, tracking performance, boosting stamina and supporting your sexual health with real science. Ready to level up in the bedroom? Head on over to MyFirmTechcom and use the code NURSEMOREEN15 for 15% off of any FirmTech order. Firmtech hard science for harder health, because performance matters. Guys, if urinary leaks or struggles in the bedroom are holding you back, it's time to take control. Btl-m cell, better known as the Kegelthrone, is a game changer, boosting pelvic floor strength, improving bladder control and even enhancing blood flow for better performance. In just 30 minutes, this non-invasive treatment delivers thousands of muscle contractions, helping you regain the confidence where it matters most. No surgery, no downtime, just results Stronger pelvic floor, better bladder control, improved intimacy. Book your session today. For more information or to find a provider, go to btlastheticscom. That's btlastheticscom.