Some 207,000 American women are expected to get the bad news this year – they have breast cancer. Of that number, nearly 39,000 will probably die from it.
Putting it another way, about 1 in every 8 women will be diagnosed with the disease sometime in their lifetimes. The disease has taken on a higher profile over the years because of national fund raising efforts to fight it, and because of annual events like October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The good news is that breast cancer rates are dropping, having decreased by about 2 percent each year from 1999 to 2006. Moreover, progress in treatments means there are now some 2.5 million breast cancer survivors.
Still, a diagnosis is medically daunting as women – and indeed, some men – battle the disease, and the effects of treatment. Those millions who survive have another battle too – their image of their own bodies change, making some self conscious.
Women these days have weapons to battle the disease.
Regular breast self exams, for instance, are recommended for women beginning in their 20s. They should learn how their breasts feel normally so they can be keenly aware of any changes.
Medical professionals can teach women how best to do self exams. Indeed, regular exams by a health professional are considered helpful too.
Mammograms, essentially an X-ray of the breasts, are also recommended for women 40 and over every 1 or 2 years. The screening can detect tumors that cannot yet be felt. Sometimes, doctors will recommend mammograms before the age of 40.
That is particularly so for women who have a higher risk because of a wide variety of factors. They include women who have already had breast cancer, those with a family history, and women who began their menstrual cycle before age 12, or more frequent mammograms for women who go through menopause after age 55.
Moreover, body weight can be a risk issue. Overweight women are at greater risk of breast cancer.
How to control breast cancer risks
Here are some tips on how to limit your chances of getting breast cancer:
- Make sure you do not become overweight or obese.
- Get plenty of exercise.
- Talk to your doctor if a relative, like your mother, your sister, or a daughter, have the disease.
- Consider the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy.
- Keep your alcohol consumption in check. Most experts say that amounts to no more than one drink a day.
As part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the National Foundation for Cancer Research has launched the “Tell a Friend, Save a Life” campaign, encouraging women to spread the word about how to prevent and detect breast cancer. One component of this campaign is a detailed Breast Cancer Prevention and Detection Kit.
The kit is loaded with helpful information, including a description of what breast cancer actually is, what factors increase the risk of getting breast cancer, and a step-by-step guide to conducting a self-exam. “One of the best weapons against breast cancer is knowledge,” said Dr. Michael Wang, Chief Science Officer at the National Foundation for Cancer Research. “If you know what you’re up against and how to prevent and detect it early, you’re already significantly increasing your likelihood of survival. Maintaining regular exams and a healthy lifestyle is key.”
Prevention tips include knowing your family history, eating right and exercising, and avoiding unhealthy habits such as smoking cigarettes. Knowing how to detect breast cancer at its earliest stages highly increases the chance of survival. By adhering to routine exams and check-ups, you can gain the advantage over your cancer and stop it before it develops further and spreads to other areas of the body. The frequency and type of exams needed vary with age and risk factors. The kit provides a chart detailing these characteristics to help you determine what actions you should take.
To download your free copy of the kit, and for more information about breast cancer and the “Tell a Friend, Save a Life” campaign, click here.
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