October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and former WSB TV anchor Monica Kauffman Pearson is urging women to get screened.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer 20 years ago during a routine mammogram. "Had I waited until I could feel it I would have been to the point where I would have probably had to have had a mastectomy," says Pearson.

Studies have shown that your risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors.

The main factors that influence your risk include being a woman and getting older. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older.

It is recommended that women who are 50 to 74 years old, and are at average risk for breast cancer, get a mammogram every two years.

Women who are 40 to 49 years old should talk to their doctor or other health care professional about when to start and how often to get a mammogram.

Women should weigh the benefits and risks of screening tests when deciding whether to begin getting mammograms at age 40.