It's not a joke. It's not an excuse for doctors to take your money. It's not fake news. Health screenings are important because they save lives.

“Early diagnosis increases survival,” Dr. Maureen Russell said.

Russell is a certified surgeon and gynecologist with Butler Health System. She said catching any cancer early through regular screenings is worth the inconvenience of having to incorporate them in your routine.

She said breast cancer screening in women is especially important in her field.

Women who have a history of breast cancer in their family should begin mammograms and self-breast exams 10 years before the earliest age that a family member was diagnosed.

Some women don't realize or have no knowledge of their lineage's medical history, creating a dangerous mystery. Genetic testing may help in these cases.

Russell said advances in genetic testing now enable identification of two genes, BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, that are indicators of breast cancer.

Screenings for anyone who has these genes should begin early in the patient's lives and usually involve MRIs, which give a detailed look at the breast tissue.

Russell has been there for her patients, in both giving the hard news of a cancer detection, and the relief of finding out there is no cancer.

She said sometimes the hardest part to comprehend is that women forget or refuse to get regular health screenings.

“A lot of people don't go,” she said.

Breast cancer screenings only find 90 percent of cancer, according to Russell. Getting screened every year helps find the remaining 10 percent.

Russell said a lot of patients who don't get screened say they don't need it because they don't have a family history. But 75 percent of patients diagnosed with breast cancer do not have family history of the disease.

“Really every woman is at risk for breast cancer,” Russell said. “Even teenagers, as rare as it is, can develop breast cancer.”

Russell said some patients may be wary to the exams because of the pain caused by manipulating the breast tissue.

She said finding breast cancer early is worth the pain, especially when considering that mastectomies are the end result for advanced cases. In mastectomies, surgeons remove the affected breast tissue, which can be painful physically, emotionally and financially.

“Pain is relative,” Russell said. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Another reason some women don't get mammograms is because they think they've found an alternative.

Russell said thermograms, which base their results on infrared images, have increased in popularity, but should not be a substitute for mammograms.

Since 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taken the same stance in a consumer report called, “Thermogram No Substitute for Mammogram.” The FDA has gone on the offensive to find and charge companies that falsely advertise thermograms as a primary detection method.

“Despite widely publicized claims to the contrary, thermography should not be used in place of mammography for breast cancer screening or diagnosis,” the report said. “The agency has sent several warning letters to health care providers and a thermography manufacturer who claim that the thermal imaging can take the place of mammography.”

Thermography has its place, but not as a main form of detection, according to the FDA.

“Thermography devices have been cleared by the FDA for use as an adjunct, or additional, tool for detecting breast cancer,” the report said.

While thermographs have mislead some, 3-D mammograms are now enticing more women to get screened, and it could be the next step in improving detection.

Russell said the procedure was only introduced a few years ago, and it has only been available to Butler's patients for the past two years. She said more time and analysis is needed to show if it will increase detection, but she remains optimistic.

“The picture is much clearer,” she said.

Although breast cancer provides a big reason for regular visits, Russell said women should see gynecologists regularly because they screen for many types of cancer that could be awkward or uncomfortable to have checked by other doctors.

She said gynecologists have the means to screen for eight types of cancer through regular visits and screenings, and the best way to feel comfortable with these visits is finding a doctor that makes you part of their lives.

“For women, the one relationship you have is with your gynecologist,” Russell said. “A lot of my patients, I look forward to seeing them every year.”

Russell said talking with women every day has given her perspective in her patients' lives, and what she has found most often as the culprit of their negligence is actually their selfless natures. She said there are mothers, wives and caregivers who are willing to schedule their children's appointments before their own.

“Women, we by and large put ourselves last,” she said. “We put the rest of our family first.”

Russell said this can't be the case. She said women need to understand that part of being there is being healthy. She has a punchline for that, something every woman who sacrifices her health for her family should ask herself.

“Who will take care of our kids, our husbands, if we're gone?”