October is Breast cancer awareness month, and the slogan for
this year is "Help us find the cures." Although National Breast
Cancer Awareness Month is October, the goal of campaign is to
raise awareness and educate individuals about breast cancer throughout the
year.
Over the past 20 years there has been such much progress in
the fight against breast cancer, including new research, and more
effective therapies and treatments. Additionally, five-year survival rates have
improved with early diagnosis and early treatment. Now the five-year
survival rate is over 80%. There are more then 2.5 million breast cancer survivors!
The best way to overcome breast cancer is to stop the
disease from occurring in the first place. To do this we need to know who
is at most risk and how to best prevent the disease. A few of the risk
factors you can change include:
* certain types of hormone
therapy after menopause
* excess weight
* sedentary lifestyle
Some of the risk factors that you cannot change are:
* Age
* Family history
It's important to remember, however, that many women with
the risk factors don't get breast cancer and many women who do get breast
cancer don't have any known risk factors other than being female and
getting older. So even if you don't have any of the above-mentioned risk
factors, you still should take measures to lower your risk. Following are
some suggestions to lower your chances of getting breast cancer:
* Stay at a healthy weight
* Do a monthly breast exam
* Eat a healthy diet with plenty
of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
* Get plenty of physical
activity
* Limit alcohol to no more than
one drink per day
* Don't smoke
* Early detection through
screenings, clinical breast examination and Mammogram
Additionally, you should know what is normal for your
breasts. You should know and remain familiar both with their appearance and how
they feel, so that you will notice any abnormality. And, if you do notice
an abnormality, you should notify your doctor right away. Some things to
look for are:
* Thickening in the breast or
armpit
* Change in the size or shape of
the breast
* Changes in the skin of the
breast, like a dimple or orange peel-looking skin
* Change in the nipple, like
scaling of the skin or a nipple that turns in
* Green or bloody fluid that
comes from the nipple
* Change in the color or feel of
the skin around the nipple.
Help spread the word on risks, signs of breast cancer, how to detect and how to lower the risks!
