LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Doctors say women should be familiar with their family history and communicate it to their physicians. That information ended up being crucial for Martha Gray. 

Gray, who was in Norton Cancer Institute's high-risk program, said she had been getting screened for breast cancer since she was 35 years old.

In January, Gray was up due for a routine mammogram. It came back negative, and while Martha had no symptoms of breast cancer, a little voice inside her head told her something wasn’t right. 

Her family has a long history of cancer. Her mother and aunt are both breast cancer survivors while her father has skin cancer. Her paternal grandmother died of ovarian cancer. She communicated this history to her physician and was sent for further testing.

A genetic test came back negative for cancer genes. Then, she was sent for an ultrasound, which found nothing. Physicians then ordered an MRI-guided biopsy, in which cancer was detected in the left breast. She chose to have a double mastectomy where the cancer was also identified in her right breast. The cancer was caught at stage 1, and she is doing well.

“Martha’s story really illustrates knowing your family history and communicating it to your doctor,” said Dr. Laila Agrawal from the Norton Cancer Institute.

Gray and Agrawal both say they don't want to leave folks with the impression that mammograms are ineffective because that’s not true. They're important; However, technology is not perfect. That's why they also say it is so important to communicate any family history, as you may fall into that high-risk category, thus resulting in further testing.

“I’m not mad or really sad about being diagnosed,” said Gray. “I feel so grateful it was found."