Reporter letter to the Editor: Now is the time

Don’t delay

As a breast imaging radiologist, who specializes in the detection of breast cancer, I’d like to make sure that our Shelter Island community knows that breast cancer doesn’t stop even if we’ve had to slow down over these past few months.

It was smart to postpone non-urgent care, like mammograms, at the height of the pandemic. However, medical facilities are offering mammograms again. If you are a woman age 40 or older, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a perfect time to schedule your mammogram appointment.

Mammography (still) saves lives. Delaying your mammogram means increasing the likelihood that breast cancer is detected when it is more advanced and less treatable. It’s been smart to play it safe — but now that means getting the mammogram you need to help ensure you can be there for your family for many years to come.

GERALDINE MCGINTY, MD

Shelter Island