Wear Pink Month
As many of you know, October is breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women (I know that you all know what number one is). In fact 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and more than 40,000 women will die from breast cancer each year! That is so scary to me. Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, in part to better screening and early detection, increased awareness, and continually improving treatment options.
I can remember when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy around the age of 60. Now, I know women in their young thirties that are being diagnosed with breast cancer. It just seems that more and more women are being told they have breast cancer at such a young age compared to past generations. Perhaps because of increased awareness and earlier screenings. When breast cancer is detected early (localized stage), the 5-year survival rate is 100%.
While there are many genetic risk factors that cannot be changed, there are many lifestyle changes that can be made to decrease your chance of getting breast cancer. Being physically active, eating well balanced meals, maintaining a healthy weight and lowering your alcohol consumption are all things that we can do to make a step in the right direction to avoid this terrible disease.
It is recommended for all women aged 40 and older to schedule a mammogram every 1 to 2 years. Women who are younger than 40 and have risk factors for breast cancer should ask their healthcare professional whether mammograms are advisable and how often to have them. In the meantime, we should all be performing self-checks monthly and report any unusual findings to our doctor.
Remember to wear pink during the month of October to show your support and to help find a cure for breast cancer!
Until the Mission is Complete,
Farabe’
I can remember when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy around the age of 60. Now, I know women in their young thirties that are being diagnosed with breast cancer. It just seems that more and more women are being told they have breast cancer at such a young age compared to past generations. Perhaps because of increased awareness and earlier screenings. When breast cancer is detected early (localized stage), the 5-year survival rate is 100%.
It is recommended for all women aged 40 and older to schedule a mammogram every 1 to 2 years. Women who are younger than 40 and have risk factors for breast cancer should ask their healthcare professional whether mammograms are advisable and how often to have them. In the meantime, we should all be performing self-checks monthly and report any unusual findings to our doctor.
Remember to wear pink during the month of October to show your support and to help find a cure for breast cancer!
Farabe’
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