Health Tips

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

From the American Cancer Society

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 182,00 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States this year.
       Breast cancer, the uncontrolled growth of cells that can form a tumor, is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. An estimated 41,000 women will die from breast cancer this year.
       If left untreated, a malignant breast tumor can invade neighboring tissue and spread throughout the body. However, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 96 percent among individuals whose cancer has not spread beyond the breast at the time of diagnosis. A mammogram is a x-ray picture of the breast. Mammography id 85-90 percent successful in finding breast cancers.

Symptoms
       Breast cancer symptoms include:

• A lump or mass detected in the breast (most common sign of breast cancer)
  
• A swelling of part of the breast
  
• Redness or scaliness of the nipple or skin on the breast
  
• A nipple discharge other than breast milk
  
• Nipple pain
  
• A lump in the underarm area

Risk Factors
       Breast cancer risk factors include:

• Personal history of breast or ovarian cancer or certain types of benign breast disease
  
• Family history of breast cancer
  
• Never being pregnant or having a first child after the age of 30
  
• Age (the chance of developing breast cancer increases as a woman gets older)
  
• Having the mutated breast cancer gene BRCA1 or BRCA2
  
• First menstruation before age 12
  
• Menopause after age 50
  
• Long-term use of birth control pills and/or more than five years of hormone replacement therapy

Screening Guidelines
       The American Cancer Society recommends the following screening guidelines to help detect breast cancer early:

• Women of all ages should perform a breast self-examination every month. By doing the exam regularly, women get to know how their breasts normally feel and can more readily detect changes.
  
• Between the ages of 20 and 30, women should have a clinical breast examination by a health professional every three years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a healthcare provider every year.
  
• Women 40 years of age and older should have a screening mammogram every year.
  
• If you have a history of breast cancer in your family, discuss specific mammogram screening guidelines and scheduling with your healthcare provider.
  
  

Treatment
       Breast cancer treatment varies widely depending on the types and stage of the cancer, as well as the age and medical history of the patient. Treatment may include surgery such as lumpectomy or mastectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

A Quick Way to Relax
       Pause to enjoy a healthy snack, such as an apple or some raw nuts.