October
is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast Cancer is so common among women that 1
in 8 will be
diagnosed in their lifetime and it is the second leading cause of death in women. The good news is that the death rate from
breast cancer has declined 34% since 1990 due to better screening, earlier
detection and improved treatments.
What puts a
person at risk for developing breast cancer?
While
there are risk factors associated with breast cancer (being a woman, over 55
years old, have a family history of breast cancer, never having given birth, to
name a few), 60- 70% of people with breast cancer have no connection to the
risk factors. According to www.nationalbreastcancer.org
common myths of things that cause breast cancer include
wearing underwire bras, implants, deodorants, antiperspirants, mammograms,
caffeine, plastic food serving items, microwaves, and cell phones.
Men
are not immune to breast cancer and approximately 2,200 men will be diagnosed
each year. Breast cancer in men has a
higher fatality rate because it often goes undetected longer. Men should also be aware of the signs of
breast cancer.
Most
of the time, there are no symptoms of having breast cancer, however there are
signs you can look for. Signs include a
lump or swelling in the breast, a change in breast size or shape, swelling in
the armpit or discharge from the nipple.
In
the past, providers have recommended doing monthly self-breast exams to search
for any lumps or abnormalities. It is
now more common for providers to advise being familiar with your own breasts so that
when changes happen, you notice them more quickly. This may be done by a monthly breast exam,
but not necessarily.
It
is also important to note that just because there is a lump does not mean it is cancerous.
Performing a
Self-Breast Exam
There
are many great resources online to show you how to perform a self-breast
exam. We suggest following one of the links
below for a step-by-step guide (pictures included).
American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/moreinformation/breastcancerearlydetection/breast-cancer-early-detection-acs-recs-bse
National
Institutes of Health: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001993.htm
Famous People with Breast Cancer
.jpg) |
| Angelina Jolie post surgery |
For
more information on breast cancer, including ways to be involved in promoting
awareness, visit www.nationalbreastcancer.org, http://www.cancer.org/
Sources:
Abramovitch,
S. (2013, May 14). They stand with angelina: 12 courageous celebrities who
battled breast cancer. Retrieved from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/they-stand-angelina-12-courageous-522209
Anderson, T.
(2013). 10 celebrities who battled breast cancer. Retrieved from
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20307103,00.html
Movva, S.
(2013, August 21). A visual guide to breast cancer. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/ss/slideshow-breast-cancer-overview
National
Breast Cancer Foundation. (2012). Breast self exam. Retrieved from http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam
Simon, S.
(2013, October 1). Report: Breast cancer death rates down 34% since 1990.
Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/news/report-breast-cancer-death-rates-down-34-since-1990
Pictures:
http://www.psmag.com/health/women-of-1970s-professional-career-increased-risk-of-breast-cancer-58095/
http://kintalk.org/discussion/breast-cancer-in-lynch-syndrome-still-a-quandary
http://www.wespeaknews.com/world/angelina-jolie-makes-first-public-appearance-post-surgery-212400.html
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