The American Cancer Society recommends that most women get their first mammogram at the age of 40. A mother in Worcester, Massachusetts said that advice saved her life.

Alexis Matera turned 40 in January, had her first mammogram in February, and after an irregularity was biopsied, she got the news in mid-March. 

"It came back as technically stage zero, but ductile carcinoma in situ or DCIS for short," she said. DCIS is an early form of breast cancer that resides in the milk duct and hasn't spread into the breast tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In an instant, everything came to a halt for Alexis, her husband Tom, and their four-year-old son. 

"When you see or hear cancer, you think the worst," she said. "I had a really hard time rolling that word cancer out of my mouth. Saying like, 'I have cancer. I have breast cancer.' It still is jarring," she said.

"I just did a lot of crying because I was like, 'Why can't it be me?'" Tom said.   

After the shock and emotional rollercoaster, Alexis and Tom got to work. The couple received care nearby at UMass Memorial Health. 

"With screening mammography, we're often able to find a breast cancer earlier than anybody would be able to actually feel it on a breast exam. And when we do find it that early, oftentimes we're able to offer somebody a chance of cure as high as a 99 percent chance over the five years to come following their diagnosis," says Dr. A. Gwen Caffrey.  

More women under 40 are being diagnosed with breast cancer each year, but the American Cancer Society said they are seeing a decline in the number of deaths. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston provides a free breast and ovarian cancer risk assessment test for those who may be worried but are under the recommended age of screening. Click here for the AccessYourRisk tool.

Breast cancer recovery

Alexis had a lumpectomy and radiation. Because she and Tom are hoping to have another child, her treatment has been modified. 

"It's wonderful to be able to be more selective in who really needs what type of treatment," noted Dr. Caffrey.  

"When I wanted to run, they were running right alongside me. They weren't dragging me back, saying 'wait,'" said Alexis. 

Now she is on the path to recovery and is sharing her story to empower and encourage others to get checked out early because it may save a life.

"There is power in being open with what you're going through because you need the support. You can't do it alone, it sounds so cliche, but you can't," Alexis said.

"Get checked out. If she didn't get checked out...," Tom said. 

"Who knows," Alexia added.

Alexis will be a panelist at "Pink: Lighting the Way for Women's Cancers," a fundraising and awareness event at UMass Memorial Health. The event hopes to raise money for breast cancer care and inspire anyone who is currently undergoing treatment.

It will be held on Tuesday, October 14th, at 5:30 pm at the Hogan Campus Center on the College of the Holy Cross campus. More information can be found here.