The fight against breast cancer begins with screenings, and one Rio Grande Valley woman is on a mission.

She educates women about mammograms.

"If caught within the early stages of breast cancer, the survival rate is around about 98 percent," South Texas Health System Mammogram Technologist Jessica Munguia said.

That high survival rate is for stage 1 breast cancer. It's what pushes Munguia to educate women about the importance of getting screened.

Munguia has been a mammogram technologist at STHS for 25 years. She's performed thousands of mammograms, and she's seen it all.

"When we find lumps that are small, the survival rate increases. We're able to contain that cancer and remove it. You'll see it's not spreading to parts of your body," Munguia said.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. The first step in the fight is getting screened, which includes routine self checks at home.

"It's up to us to get to know our breasts. That means doing a self breast exam on a monthly basis," Munguia said. "So if you feel something abnormal, you know that's different. If you're feeling a lump, discomfort any abnormality."

Munguia says do not wait, it's time to talk to your doctor. It's also important not to skip yearly mammograms.

For most women, the recommended age is 40 years old.

"The mammogram, it's uncomfortable, but it's so worth it," Munguia said. "It's quick, it's 15 minutes of your time."

Munguia said a lot can happen in a year.

"I had a patient not too long ago, where we had a normal mammogram last year and this year there was something drastically changed in her breasts," Munguia said.

The mammogram caught a suspicious mass. For this patient, more testing needs to be done to determine if it is cancer.

Munguia has a message to women everywhere, putting off a mammogram.

"I want everyone to get a mammogram and be healthy. If you do have something that needs to be taken care of, I want to make it that it gets caught in time," Munguia said. "It can save your life."

That's the goal in this fight, women prioritizing their health so they can live long healthy lives.

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