October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Unfortunately, chances are good that you know someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, over 252,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. One in eight women will develop breast cancer at some point during their lives. The good news is that if it’s caught early, while it’s still in the localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent. This is why early detection is key. Here are some good pointers to keep in mind in order to keep yourself as healthy as possible:
- Breast self-exams Although these are not officially recommended as a breast cancer screening tool, knowing what your breasts feel like will help you be more aware of any changes that might take place. The best time to examine your breasts is after your period ends; this is when your progesterone levels are the lowest. On or about day 7 of your cycle (with the first day of your period counting as the first day of your cycle), feel both breasts to check for lumps and bumps. Let your doctor know if you feel anything out of the ordinary, including any new lumps, scaly skin, sores on the skin, dimpling or puckering on the skin, nipple discharge, redness, warmth, or any pain that isn’t related to your cycle and that doesn’t go away.
- Clinical exams You should see your doctor each year for a physical examination (this is the case even though you may not need a Pap smear each year, depending on your age and reproductive history). This exam should include a clinical breast exam. If you don’t see your gynecologist each year, your primary care physician can do this for you.
- Mammograms Women without a personal or family history of breast cancer should usually start getting mammograms every year or two starting at age 40. If one of your relatives had breast cancer, your doctor may recommend that you have screening mammograms starting at an earlier age.
If you have medical insurance, clinical exams as well as mammograms should be covered. If you don’t have insurance, ask at your doctor’s office, health department or local Planned Parenthood; many organizations are offering free breast screenings during the month of October as well as at other times of the year. When it comes to breast cancer, early detection is key, and gives you the best possible chance at a long, healthy, cancer-free life in the future. Remember that with so many new treatment options, a breast cancer diagnosis does not equal a death sentence!
Schedule your clinical breast exam or mammogram today in order to boost your chances of being around for a long time, and please share this information with your friends and family members!
Always a good reminder! And I keep my eyes open for products with the pink ribbon indicating they support breast cancer research.
It is a good reminder. I am so amazed how much support Breast Cancer Foundations are getting this month. Its awesome to be reminded that there are still a lot people in this world that truly care! 🙂 Thanks for this post as well.
Love that everyone gets in on the support to Fight Breast Cancer!! I personally do not know anyone that has had breast cancer, but I am sure as I grow older, someone I know will find out they have it =( Kudos to everyone who wears pink this month!!
Thanks for the great advice and statistics about breast cancer. My sister was just diagnose with breast cancer and is starting treatment shortly so this article gives me hope.
I always save the lids from my Yoplait yogurt for the Save Lids and Save Lives they do every year. They have these on the Grands biscuits this year too! I’m really big into breast cancer support since my grandmother died of breast cancer when I was 6 years old.
This is a special cause for me . I lost a dear friend due to breast cancer . I wear pink every chance I get .
Awareness is great but as a survivor I hope you don’t buy products just because there’s a pink ribbon on them. More times than you want to know they actually don’t support anything 🙁
Here’s a link to a great article about “pinkwashing” http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/?page_id=13
I have a cousin that had both her breasts removed this week, cancer has really it my family hard the last couple of years. Another cousin ovarian cancer, my sister was diagnosed with colon cancer in July, she has one more week of radiation/chemo and will have her surgery a month or so after the treatment.