SUZANNE TATE: October Is Month To Focus On Breast Cancer Risks, Testing, Prevention

It’s hard to get excited about any medical visit or screening, but the month of October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness, a designation designed to increase awareness about the disease and encourage women to have regular screenings.

Because early detection increases the likelihood of survival, medical professionals encourage women to do monthly breast self-exams and to have a baseline mammogram – one to compare against in the future – by age 35.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are 178,000 new cases of breast cancer in women diagnosed each year in the United States. There are about 2,000 cases diagnosed in men. Of these cases, approximately 40,460 women and 450 men will die from the disease.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, after skin cancer.

Scientists examine various trends to identify risk factors, some of which can be controlled, and some which cannot. Age, medical history, race, economic status and lifestyle habits are all possible risk factors.

The highest risk factor for breast cancer is being female. The disease is about 100 times more common among women than men.

The risk increases as a woman grows older and is especially high for women age 60 and older. It is uncommon in women younger than 35, but it does occur.

Women who have had breast cancer or other breast disease appear to be at higher risk to develop cancer again. And a woman whose mother, sister, daughter, or two or more other close relatives have had the disease is more likely to develop breast cancer.

Some people may be born with an alteration in one of two genes and have an inherited higher risk for breast cancer. They also may pass this alteration to their children. Women with a family history of breast cancer are encouraged to speak to a genetics counselor to determine the pros and cons of genetic testing.

There are also a variety of estrogen-related risk factors: having a first period before age 12, having children after age 35, not having children and using hormone replacement therapy.

Other risk factors are lifestyle choices and can be avoided.

The National Breast Cancer Awareness organization suggests:

* Decrease your fat intake, especially saturated or hydrogenated fats. Reducing your fat intake helps prevent health problems, such as heart disease and stroke and may reduce your chance of developing breast and colon cancers.

* Eat more fiber. Fiber is found in whole grains, vegetables and fruits. This type of diet helps your heart and can help prevent other cancers.

* Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables have antioxidant properties and micronutrients that may help prevent some cancers.

* Limit alcohol. Evidence suggests a small increase in risk exists for women who average two or more alcoholic drinks per day.

* Stay active. The U.S. Surgeon General has recently reported that you can help prevent many health problems by engaging in a moderate amount of physical activity (such as taking a 30-minute walk) on most days of the week. Strive to maintain the body weight recommended by a health professional, since excess fat may stimulate estrogen production.

* Don’t smoke. Smoking doesn’t cause breast cancer, but it can increase the chance of blood clots, heart disease and other cancers that may spread to the breast.

The American Cancer Society and the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month partners encourage women to have regular mammograms. Cost is often a barrier to women having regular mammograms, but Medicare and Medicaid cover regular screening mammograms.

So do most private health insurance plans. Check with your plan and your doctor.

Free and low-cost mammograms are available for women without health insurance. For a program near you, call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at (888) 842-6355 or visit its Web site at www.cdc.gov.

For more information about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit the group’s Web site at www.nbcam.org.

Another excellent resource is the American Cancer Society’s Web site at www.cancer.org.

Suzanne Tate is the opinion page editor of the Bristol Herald Courier and can be reached at state@bristolnews.com or (276)645-2534.