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 http://www.cdc.gov.
For more information about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit the group’s Web site at http://www.nbcam.org.
Another excellent resource is the American Cancer Society’s Web site at http://www.cancer.org.
Suzanne Tate is the opinion page editor of the Bristol Herald Courier and can be reached at or (276)645-2534.
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Dadw5:
remember- 50% of the doctors in this country graduated in the bottom half of their class!!
If You Doubt That There Is a Healthcare Crisis, Come to Michigan
Of Detroit’s 42 hospitals that operated in 1960, four remain. Locals know a thing or two about the agony of auto plant closings. Local hospital closings are also a heavy blow. A hospital is more than a site of care. It provides employment to hundreds or thousands of people ranging from brain surgeons and nurses to the telephone operators and custodial staff. Hospitals provide an economic anchor for local medical offices, pharmacies, and sandwich shops. Hospital security personnel generally outnumber city police in the immediate vicinity, providing needed protection from crime. Hospital closures are especially demoralizing when they come to symbolize a community’s economic decline.
Retaining healthcare providers is becoming more difficult with each passing year. Within a $2.4 trillion healthcare system, providers have opportunities to make money. Few of these opportunities are in stressed locations like east Detroit. One in four people in Detroit lack health coverage. Many of the rest have Medicaid, on whom hospitals often lose money. If you are a hospital executive, locating in a poor Detroit neighborhood is not a marketing advantage when you are trying to court well-insured suburban yuppie patients.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harold-pollack/if-you-doubt-that-there-i_b_135801.html
Enjoy what little healthcare you have. Soon you could be living like they do in Michigan after the auto plans closed and the For Profits lefts.
I forgot to mention a couple of things. Her surgeon would not make a new appointment even when she told them she was in server pain because her insurance had not paid them in full. She was told he will not make you another appointment till the bill is paid. She also sat thru lie after lie blaming her becuase he had put the left implant in wrong. He was in such a hurry he left tons of scar tissue. While she sat in one room waiting for the bad news about when a new surgery date she saw him carry a large bundle of flowers to the patient next door who had eleced to have implants to enlarge her breast and was fairly wealthy.
My friend was met with contempt every visit after the orginal surgeon and his staff. They know that no other surgeon is going to take her and her insurance company will fight any 2nd opinions. She tried and they fought paying for them.
While organizational efforts might make a difference in how women feel they will not change this for profit machine.
My friends in England have no problems with thier health care system.
Instead of the microwave how about the fact that margerine, that replacement for real butter, is only one Molecule away from being plastic !
Well, she won’t be served well by a ‘nationalized’ health care system.
Get a super saver ticket & fly up to Toronto for a weekend and talk to people about their frustrations.
you will be enlightened. Very cheap investment for an education.
By the was I am a dad with 6 kids and one is a little girl and I am scared to death for her in a FOR PROFIT health care system or a managed care system !
Well it never occuered to me until a doctor told a friend with a Lump they had to get a smaple of to get rid of her microwave.
She had a her breast removed competely and now has implants. Scares all over her. Treated like crap by the Surgeon, The test at the hospital came back always “POSSIBLE” cancer. TRUST ? Trust who when PROFIT IS ENVOULVED.
With that sort of insight, it’s a good thing you’re not “dadw5girls”
Whew!!
A what level is you micro wave oven ?
Chest level?
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