Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Introduction

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and we would like to tell you a little bit about the importance of early detection.
Because about one in eight women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point, it is imperative that we raise awareness about this condition
The good news is that most women survive breast cancer if it is found and treated early

Screening refers to tests and exams used to find a disease in people who do not have any symptoms.
Early detection means finding and diagnosing a disease earlier than if you’d waited for symptoms to start
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, when breast cancer is detected early and hasn’t spread to anywhere else in the body, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99 percent.
That’s why being proactive about your health through early detection is so important

Each year in the United States, about 264,000 women get breast cancer and 42,000 women die from the disease.
Men also get breast cancerbut it is not very common. About 1 out of every 100 breast cancers diagnosed in the United States is found in a man.
Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women

We need cancer awareness because not only it removes the stigma and fear attached to the condition
But also helps people recognize the early signs and symptoms of cancer, thus enabling them to seek treatment at an early stage

Awareness surrounding breast cancer is incredibly important as early detection, often through screening, can catch the disease when it is most treatable.
It is all the more important because per the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers

Screening and early detection includes doing monthly breast self-exams and scheduling regular clinical breast exams and mammograms.
Women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel.
They should immediately report any changes to their doctor
It’s important that women of all ages regularly perform their own breast exams. While administering your BSE you may discover a new lump earlier than when your annual mammography may be due.
If so, you can reach out to your health care provider as soon as possible

The American Cancer Society recommends annual screening mammograms for women starting at age 40 and continuing as long as they are in good health. Usually up to 74 years old.
But your doctor might want you to have a screening earlier if you have a mother or sister with breast cancer.
Mammograms are essential, important, and potentially life-saving.
Talk with your doctor about when to start mammography screening sooner than later.