Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October celebrates National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Did you know that one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime? According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc., breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer death among women. Both men and women may be affected by this disease. While it is much more rare in men, there are approximately 2,190 male diagnoses each year.

On average, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes. For many years, breast cancer was classified as a incurable disease but now over 2.8 million breast cancer survivors are alive in the United States today thanks to better screening, earlier detection, increased awareness and  improved treatment options!

 

What Causes Breast Cancer?

Breast Cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissue of the breast. While doctors don’t know the exact causes of this disease, they know that it is caused by damage to a cell’s DNA. Known risk factors for breast cancer include environmental factors (such as physical activity, diet, weight, alcohol consumption and radiation) which can be avoided and genetic factors (such as age, gender, family history, personal health history, menstrual history genome changes and breast tissue) which cannot be avoided. Having a risk factor does not mean that a person will develop breast cancer.

 

Stay on Top of Breast Health

Make Healthy Choices

  • Eat healthy foods full of nutrients
  • Perform at least 75 minutes of physical activity per week
  • Get enough sleep
  • Limit your alcohol use
  • Reduce exposure to radiation and avoid cancer causing chemicals
  • Breastfeed your babies, if possible
  • Be aware of your family health history

Get screened

  • Self-examinations: Search for breast cancer symptoms such as lumps or changes in size or shape of the breasts
  • Clinical examination: Your doctor should perform a comprehensive check of your breasts to confirm there are no abnormal signs
  • Mammogram: Doctors can detect signs of cancer by using a low-dose X-ray

 

#Pinktober #StayAware #SpreadTheWord #FindACure