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How an online test can help save someone's life from breast cancer

Actress Olivia Munn calling attention to a breast cancer test and one Colorado doctor tells Denver7 it's a good thing she's doing so
How an online test can help save someone's life from breast cancer
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DENVER — Olivia Munn is calling attention to a breast cancer test and one Colorado doctor told Denver7 it's a good thing she's doing so.

Munn shared with ABC News about a test she took to assess her lifetime risk for breast cancer, some of which are free online.

It looks at multiple factors and in general if person's scores more than 20%, they are considered higher risk for breast cancer.

"Ask your doctor, ask your primary care physician, ask your OBGYN, whoever is kind of seeing you regularly about your risk and to run this test," Dr. Kayla Griffith with HCA HealthONE told Denver7. "And you can do some of these things online."

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How an online test can help save someone's life from breast cancer

Dr. Kayla Griffith specializes in this field and met with Denver7 in between surgeries. She hopes other women here in Colorado can use this test in the same way Munn did.

For Munn, her mammogram came back clear and so did her genetic testing. However she has family history and her score came back high.

She pushed for more screening and through a breast MRI doctors found her breast cancer.

"We're so busy taking care of everyone else, and we say we're fine, we're fine," Dr. Griffith said. "I've got a thousand other things to do. Advocate for yourself, and it saved her life, right? She caught this early. Breast cancer is treatable when we catch it early. We're talking about treatments and cure rates in the high 90s, approaching hundreds, depending on how early we catch it."

Dr. Griffith said this can change how often you are screened and when. It can also open up different treatment and preventative options. Do this kind of risk assessment everyday, Dr. Girffith advised. You can check with your doctor about which test in person or online is a good fit for you.

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