|
|
|
Over the course of a lifetime, one in eight women — our mothers, sisters, friends, coworkers and neighbors — will develop breast cancer. We’re not presenting this statistic to scare you — we know women are plenty scared about breast cancer already. We’re presenting them because we want you to know that despite the numbers, you have the power to reduce your odds of getting the disease. And thanks to advances in diagnosis, treatment and care, people diagnosed with breast cancer are living longer and better than ever.
Each year about 210,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Many fewer women, around 40,000 each year die from breast cancer.
We don’t yet know what causes breast cancer. Genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all play a role, but researchers are still trying to determine how much each contributes to the disease.
Choices you make in your daily life also have an effect. To minimize your risk, it’s important for you to keep your weight in check, get plenty of exercise and follow a healthy diet. You also shouldn’t smoke. And if you are menopausal or premenopausal and have a family history of breast cancer, speak with your health care provider about alternatives to traditional hormone therapy to control menopausal symptoms.
Just as important, be diligent in your health checkups. Early detection remains your best defense for catching and curing breast cancer, as it’s most treatable when found early. Perform monthly self-exams, have your breasts examined regularly by a health care provider and schedule those mammograms!
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. In speaking with Debbie Hester, BSRT (R) (M) at Morehouse General Hospital, she said women should have their first mammograms age 35 to 40, and after age 40 they should have one yearly. With the mammogram it can pick up any irregularities 18 to 24 months prior to one feeling a lump, or noticing a change.
If you do develop breast cancer, or it comes back after treatment, you may be thrown into a dizzying swirl of tests, treatments and extreme emotions. Know that good nutrition, physical activity, a positive attitude and a strong fighting spirit can go a long way in getting you through treatment and reducing your chance of recurrence.
Remember to follow the easy steps to help curtail your chances of getting breast cancer:
1. Keep your weight where it should be for a person of your height and size.
2. Exercise. As little as 30 minutes a day will help.
3. Follow a healthy diet, eat right.
4. Don’t smoke
5. And keep those health check-ups, early detection is your best defense.
Over the course of a lifetime, one in eight women — our mothers, sisters, friends, coworkers and neighbors — will develop breast cancer. We’re not presenting this statistic to scare you — we know women are plenty scared about breast cancer already. We’re presenting them because we want you to know that despite the numbers, you have the power to reduce your odds of getting the disease. And thanks to advances in diagnosis, treatment and care, people diagnosed with breast cancer are living longer and better than ever.
Each year about 210,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Many fewer women, around 40,000 each year die from breast cancer.
We don’t yet know what causes breast cancer. Genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all play a role, but researchers are still trying to determine how much each contributes to the disease.
Choices you make in your daily life also have an effect. To minimize your risk, it’s important for you to keep your weight in check, get plenty of exercise and follow a healthy diet. You also shouldn’t smoke. And if you are menopausal or premenopausal and have a family history of breast cancer, speak with your health care provider about alternatives to traditional hormone therapy to control menopausal symptoms.
Just as important, be diligent in your health checkups. Early detection remains your best defense for catching and curing breast cancer, as it’s most treatable when found early. Perform monthly self-exams, have your breasts examined regularly by a health care provider and schedule those mammograms!
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. In speaking with Debbie Hester, BSRT (R) (M) at Morehouse General Hospital, she said women should have their first mammograms age 35 to 40, and after age 40 they should have one yearly. With the mammogram it can pick up any irregularities 18 to 24 months prior to one feeling a lump, or noticing a change.
If you do develop breast cancer, or it comes back after treatment, you may be thrown into a dizzying swirl of tests, treatments and extreme emotions. Know that good nutrition, physical activity, a positive attitude and a strong fighting spirit can go a long way in getting you through treatment and reducing your chance of recurrence.
Remember to follow the easy steps to help curtail your chances of getting breast cancer:
1. Keep your weight where it should be for a person of your height and size.
2. Exercise. As little as 30 minutes a day will help.
3. Follow a healthy diet, eat right.
4. Don’t smoke
5. And keep those health check-ups, early detection is your best defense.
