Olivia Munn Recommended This Breast Cancer Risk Calculator After Her Mastectomy: NPR

When Olivia Munn revealed this week that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy, she urged people to ask their doctors to calculate their score on a breast cancer risk calculator.

Munn said his score prompted more testing and the discovery of an aggressive form of the disease.

“I’m lucky. We caught him with enough time for him to have options,” the 43-year-old actor posted on Instagram. “I want the same for any woman who has to face this one day.”

A look at the calculator, the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool:

What is the breast cancer risk assessment tool?

It is a questionnaire on the National Cancer Institute website that is designed for healthcare providers to use with patients. The tool has received a “dramatic increase in visits” since Munn’s publication, according to an NCI spokesperson.

First developed in 1989, it was originally based solely on data from white women. Updates have made it more accurate for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander women.

It doesn’t take everything into account and can’t really predict whether a person will get breast cancer.

Asks about age, age of first menstrual period, age at which the woman’s first child was born or whether the woman has not given birth, family history of breast cancer, previous breast biopsies, results of previous biopsies, race and ethnicity .

The result is a lifetime risk and a five-year risk based on factors that have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. For comparison, it also offers an average risk for American women of the same age, race and ethnicity.

Dr. Elizabeth Comen, who treats breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said women should be screened with their doctors, not alone.

“It’s very important to talk to your doctor about how to do this together and then make decisions about what imaging techniques are appropriate” based on the results, Comen said. The high Munn score prompted additional imaging tests that are not recommended for average-risk women.

Should everyone use the tool?

Not the best risk calculator for some women. If you have a certain genetic mutation or a history of breast cancer, it is not for you. It also does not take into account dense breast tissue, which can make cancer more difficult to detect.

The National Cancer Institute says the tool may underestimate risk in black women with prior biopsies and Hispanic women born outside the U.S.

“The model needs further validation for Hispanic women and other subgroups,” the institute’s website says. “Researchers are conducting additional studies to collect more data to test and improve the model.”

There are dozens of similar tools, said Ashley Johnson, a nurse practitioner at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who has studied them. Many health groups recommend that women over 25 undergo such screening, she said, but there is not enough evidence to say which tool is best.

What do the scores mean?

A five-year risk score of 2%, for example, means that a woman’s estimated risk of developing breast cancer in the next five years is 2%.

A lifetime risk score of 7% means that a woman’s estimated risk of developing breast cancer through age 90 is 7%.

The guidelines for mammograms are for women at average risk, said Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society. Guidelines vary, but the society says women can choose to start annual mammograms at age 40.

“Knowing the risk starts even before the age of 40,” Kamal said. That’s where a risk calculator can come in handy.

How can I reduce my risk of breast cancer?

Everyone has some risk of getting cancer, Comen said, but some lifestyle changes can reduce the chances.

She suggests avoiding processed foods, adding exercise and strength training to your routine, limiting alcohol, and not smoking.