Guerdy Abraira of Real Housewives of Miami revealed she's been diagnosed with breast cancer and is urging other women to get tested.
The reality star shared the health update in an Instagram post on Wednesday, and it comes amid new recommendations in the U.S. that breast cancer screening start 10 years earlier, at age 40, compared to what is currently recommended.
In her Instagram post, Abraira, 45, said she was on vacation in St. Barts in March and was "having the time of [her] life" when she got a call from her doctor with the results of her mammogram.
The reality star says that learning she has breast cancer took a while to process.
"For now, I am preparing for my upcoming surgery and then will come my treatment plan," she wrote in her post.
"I am lucky that this breast cancer was discovered at an early stage — it is still scary of course."
Abraira finished her note by urging other women to get tested if they haven't already.
"For those who do not get health checks regularly, I urge you to. Your life depends on it."
On Tuesday, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force drafted a recommendation that all women get screened for breast cancer every other year starting at age 40 to "reduce their risk of dying from the disease."
The task force says its initial recommendation of having the screening start at age 50 has changed because of "new and more inclusive science" about breast cancer in people under 50.
"We have long known that screening for breast cancer saves lives, and the science now supports all women getting screened, every other year, starting at age 40," the task force statement says on its website.
What is breast cancer screening?
According to Cancer Care Ontario, mammograms are the best screening test for most people.
A mammogram takes an X-ray photo of the breast and can "find breast cancers when they are small" and "less likely to have spread."
The health authority says mammograms are considered safe and use a low dose of radiation.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Symptoms of breast cancer may present differently for different people.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says some early warning signs of breast cancer include a new lump in the breast or underarm (armpit), thickening or swelling of part of the breast, redness or flaky skin around the nipple and any pain in the breast area.
The centre says to be mindful that these symptoms can happen with other conditions and don't necessarily indicate that it's breast cancer.
Anyone with any of these signs or symptoms is encouraged to see a doctor.
According to the CDC, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in the U.S., save for certain types of skin cancer. It's the same statistic for women in Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society says.
That may be one reason why many doctors in Canada are recommending the same breast cancer guideline changes as in the U.S.
In an interview with the CBC, Dr. Mojola Omole called the changes in the U.S. "the right move" and encouraged Canada to take it a step further. She told the outlet she would like to see women have annual screenings beginning at the age of 40, particularly for Black, Hispanic and Asian patients.
"We know that Black women and Asian women, their peak incidence [of breast cancer] is actually 10 years earlier than Caucasian counterparts," the surgical oncologist based in Scarborough told the CBC.
It's unclear if Canada will follow suit, but CTV reports that the Canadian Task Force on Preventative Care's guidelines are reviewed every five years and are "set to be evaluated again this year."
This article's left-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
Guerdy Of 'RHOM' Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer & There's A New Age To Start Screening
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