In an emotional Instagram publish, Olivia Munn revealed that she was identified with aggressive breast most cancers after receiving an above-average rating on a breast most cancers threat evaluation.

The 43-year-old actor shared that she had a mammogram and genetic testing achieved final yr “in an effort to be proactive about my well being”—each got here again clear and regular. Her ob-gyn really useful doing the chance evaluation subsequent, and that check “saved my life,” Munn stated.

Due to the evaluation, Munn discovered that she had a 37% lifetime threat of growing breast most cancers, which prompted her to get an MRI, adopted by an ultrasound and biopsy. These exams revealed the “fast-moving” most cancers Luminal B in each of her breasts. She had a double mastectomy 30 days later and feels “fortunate” that her most cancers was caught in time.

Breast most cancers is the second main reason behind most cancers dying in ladies within the US. The American Most cancers Society (ACS) recommends getting annual mammograms beginning as early as age 40—however must you do a breast most cancers threat evaluation earlier than then? Right here’s what to learn about this check, in line with consultants.

What’s a breast most cancers threat evaluation rating?

A breast most cancers threat evaluation rating estimates your possibilities of growing the illness inside sure time frames. There’s the Gail mannequin, a instrument that helps well being care suppliers estimate an individual’s five-year and lifelong threat of growing invasive breast most cancers as much as age 90, and the Tyrer-Cuzick mannequin, which estimates the chance inside 10 years and a lifetime. (At present, the Tyrer-Cuzick mannequin determines a high-risk particular person’s MRI eligibility, whereas the Gail mannequin serves as steerage for preventive drug remedy. Analysis hasn’t discovered that one is best than the opposite.)

Your rating is calculated through varied questions which are designed to acquire details about your private well being historical past, together with your loved ones historical past of breast most cancers in first-degree family members, like your mother and father and siblings. (In case you’re a guardian, it additionally asks about your age if you first gave delivery—one thing Munn famous in her Instagram, since she had her first youngster after the age of 30.)

Whilst you can technically do the evaluation by yourself—the Gail Mannequin is on the Nationwide Most cancers Institute’s web site—it’s designed for well being care professionals to offer to their sufferers. After the questions are accomplished, your breast most cancers threat evaluation rating is electronically calculated: You’ll be given a proportion on your 5- or 10-year threat of growing breast most cancers, in addition to your lifetime threat.

What occurs should you get a “excessive” breast most cancers threat evaluation rating?

A lifetime threat rating of 20% or extra is taken into account excessive, however bear in mind: Your outcomes are simply an estimate. The Nationwide Most cancers Institute particularly notes that some individuals who don’t develop breast most cancers have larger threat estimates than those that do find yourself growing the illness—that means, it’s not good. One other key limitation: It could underestimate the chance in sure folks, together with Black ladies who beforehand had biopsies achieved, and Hispanic ladies born exterior the US, amongst different teams.