“If it hurts, know that it’s just a few seconds and it could save your life,” the actress said on the Oct. 20 episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
Drew Barrymore takes her health seriously and encourages women everywhere to do the same.
During Friday’s episode The Drew Barrymore ShowThe 48-year-old actress supported Breast Cancer Awareness Month by documenting her latest mammogram.
“I really think we all play a very negative mental game in our heads about our health,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but I self-diagnose myself all day and the results are terrible and I shouldn’t be doing it.”
“So I’m trying to take responsibility and figure this out, and I want to take everyone on this journey with me because I’m completely imperfect,” Barrymore continued. “I’m just another person who’s afraid of getting bad news. But I know that facing it is everything.”
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The Drew Barrymore Show
Drew Barrymore documents her mammogram process
Mammography is vital for early detection of breast cancer, which affects one in eight women in the United States.
In May, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended age for breast cancer screening after an increase in younger diagnoses. The task force said science now shows all women, including those at average risk, should start getting screened every two years at age 40, which could result in 19 percent more lives saved.
Barrymore visited Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, an OB-GYN and breast cancer survivor, who stressed that women should start getting annual mammograms at age 40. older, she doesn’t suggest skipping years between shows.
RELATED: Chrissy Teigen Shares Topless Selfie During Mammogram and Breast Ultrasound
The Drew Barrymore Show
Drew Barrymore undergoes a mammogram
In the video, Barrymore documented her entire mammogram, calling the process “quick and painless.”
“If it hurts, know that it’s only a few seconds and it could save your life,” she added after finishing watching.
“I’ll be 49, and having two kids has changed everything for me,” Barrymore added. “It matters whether I stay here, it matters what I do with myself. I’m much more responsible to myself than I’ve ever been.”
The actress later said that her results had returned to normal.
In addition to regular checkups, health officials advise women of all ages to practice “breast self-awareness,” which means becoming familiar with what a person’s own breasts typically look and feel like so they are more likely to recognize anything. unusual on breast self-examination.
The Drew Barrymore Show airs Monday through Friday on CBS. Check your local listings.
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