Here Is Jennifer Garner's Video For Breast Cancer Awareness

Movie and television star Jennifer Garner posted a video on Instagram, and it's already "Garnered" over 1.7 million views and over 300,000 likes. Her Instagram post was about another more important "gram" to get, a mammogram:

As you can see, Garner began the video by saying, "Happy October, it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it's time for a mammogram." She then underwent a mammogram and while waiting for the results, blew up a medical glove, which, in general, is not the purpose of such gloves. After being told by the doctor that "you're mammogram looks perfect," Garner did a little dance, a bit of an Elektra slide. Why? Although people may debate what exactly a "perfect" phone call may be, the meaning of a perfect mammogram is clear. It is one that's clear of anything that may be suspicious for cancer. Good news then for Garner.

The 47-year-old star of the movie 13 Going on 30 added the following comment to her posted video: "Every October I have a standing date. For a mammogram. For me, having the appointment on the books makes it routine, like the dentist. I know it's scary, sisters, but just do it-the next best thing to an all clear is early detection."

"Mammograms are fun," is basically something that no one says. It can be stressful going through a procedure that could tell you bad news. It can take away time away from work and other things that you want or need to be doing. It can cost you money if you don't have insurance or have very poopy insurance that doesn't cover the procedure. It can be uncomfortable to undergo. If you are wondering why, try squeezing a sensitive body part of yours between two plates. Moreover, you may not have a regular doctor to encourage such screening or see someone who like the glove in Garner's video is full of air,

Nevertheless, a mammogram is an important part of screening for breast cancer. As the American Cancer Society indicates, approximately one out of every eight women in America will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. One out of eight is not an insignificant number, which is a roundabout way of saying that it is significant. In general, the earlier that you can catch cancer, the more likely it will be treatable. Once cancer has spread beyond its initial location, the odds of successfully treating it go down substantially.

Yet, not everyone who should be getting mammograms is currently getting mammograms. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2015, under three-quarters (71.6%) of women who were between the ages of 50 and 74 years had had a mammogram during the previous two years. That's far from a perfect number.

The aforementioned concerns about cost, time, and discomfort can be deterrents. Also, not everyone may be aware of the importance of mammograms, which essentially use X-rays to take pictures of the tissues within your breasts and help doctors look for anything that may be suspicious for cancer.

Mammograms aren't perfect, because nothing in life that isn't avocado toast is perfect. The procedure does expose you to some radiation. The procedure can miss problematic lesions or potentially have false positives, finding something that looks like a problem but really isn't. Nonetheless, unless you are Supergirl and have X-ray vision, no amount of examining your breasts will allow you the inside look that mammograms offer.

Another issue prevent you from getting a mammogram may be confusion over when and how often to get one. As this chart from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows, seven different major medical and health organizations are not in complete agreement as to what age you should begin getting screening mammograms and how often you should then get such screening. For example, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2011 guidelines and the American College of Radiology 2010 guidelines recommend that women with "average risk for breast cancer" begin annual mammography screening at age 40. The American Cancer Society 2015 guidelines are more equivocal about women of average risk before age 45, indicating that those from 40 to 44 years of age can "start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms if they wish to do so," and then is more definitive when saying "women aged 45 to 49 years should get mammograms every year." On the opposite end of the spectrum is the International Agency for Research on Cancer 2015 guidelines that state that there is "Insufficient evidence to recommend for or against screening," for women of average risk before age 50.

More consensus exists for women who are from 50 to 74 years of age and of average risk for breast cancer. All seven organizations recommend regular mammography screening, although some suggest yearly screening and others suggest screening every two years.

Here is what Therese B. Bevers, MD, Professor of Clinical Cancer Prevention and the Medical Director of the Cancer Prevention Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center, said about discrepancies among the major guidelines:

What then should you do? Talk to your doctor as soon as you can about when to get screening mammograms. It's never too early to begin such discussions with your doctor unless, of course, you are baby who can't talk yet. Strictly following available medical guidelines can be like polling a thousand people to determine when you should use the toilet. Remember these different guidelines are based on samples from the general population and not you specifically. For example, your doctor may determine that you are at higher risk for breast cancer and recommend starting screening at an earlier age. Regardless of what guidelines may be available, you should always have a regular doctor whom you trust and has the proper experience and training. Medicine and health care should not be assembly lines. They are not one-size-fits-all gloves.

Of course, these guidelines can be useful conversation starters. Your doctor should be aware of available guidelines and incorporate them into discussions about your specific situation. Avoid doctors or any other healthcare professional who doesn't provide a scientific rationale for what you should do about any type of screening. If instead your doctor has a giant roulette wheel in his or her office to make screening decisions, mentions something about putting a jade egg in an orifice, or spends most of your appointments making balloon animals from gloves, consider finding another doctor.