In an emotional Instagram post, Olivia Munn revealed that she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer after receiving an above-average score on a breast cancer risk assessment.
The 43-year-old actor shared that she had a mammogram and genetic testing done last year “in an effort to be proactive about my health”—both came back clear and normal. Her ob-gyn recommended doing the risk assessment next, and that test “saved my life,” Munn said.
Because of the assessment, Munn learned that she had a 37% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, which prompted her to get an MRI, followed by an ultrasound and biopsy. Those tests revealed a “fast-moving” cancer, Luminal B, in both of her breasts. She had a double mastectomy 30 days later and feels “lucky” that her cancer was caught in time.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the US. The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends getting annual mammograms starting as early as age 40—but should you do a breast cancer risk assessment before then? Here’s what to know about this test, according to experts.
What is a breast cancer risk assessment score?
A breast cancer risk assessment score estimates your chances of developing the disease within certain time frames. There’s the Gail model, a tool that helps health care providers estimate a person’s five-year and lifetime risk of developing invasive breast cancer up to age 90, and the Tyrer-Cuzick model, which estimates the risk within 10 years and a lifetime. (Currently, the Tyrer-Cuzick model determines a high-risk person’s MRI eligibility, while the Gail model serves as guidance for preventive drug therapy. Research hasn’t found that one is better than the other.)
Your score is calculated via various questions that are designed to obtain information about your personal health history, along with your family history of breast cancer in first-degree relatives, like your parents and siblings. (If you’re a parent, it also asks about your age when you first gave birth—something Munn noted in her Instagram, since she had her first child after the age of 30.)
While you can technically do the assessment on your own—the Gail Model is on the National Cancer Institute’s website—it’s designed for health care professionals to give to their patients. After the questions are completed, your breast cancer risk assessment score is electronically calculated: You’ll be given a percentage for your five- or 10-year risk of developing breast cancer, as well as your lifetime risk.
What happens if you get a “high” breast cancer risk assessment score?
A lifetime risk score of 20% or more is considered high, but remember: Your results are just an estimate. The National Cancer Institute specifically notes that some people who don’t develop breast cancer have higher risk estimates than those who do end up developing the disease—meaning, it’s not perfect. Another key limitation: It may underestimate the risk in certain people, including Black women who previously had biopsies done, and Hispanic women born outside the US, among other groups.