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Health Information
THE ESSENCE OF BREAST HEALTH
The power of a simple
phrase can fill our hearts with joy, sadness or laughter. And, in the case of
a woman faced with the words "you have breast cancer", enormous fear.
Shocking, debilitating and unnerving, nearly 60,000 women each year hear these
words. Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives--this disease is not particular.
And, inevitably, it will likely strike someone you love and care for.
Although we are making progress in our
understanding of the causes of breast cancer, a woman's best defense against
this unforgiving disease is EARLY DETECTION.
The plain truth is that finding breast
cancer early can mean the difference between life and death--the difference
between seeing children and grandchildren grow up or being little more than a
photograph or a memory.
CONSIDER THESE FACTS
1. One in eight American
women will have a diagnosis of breast cancer during their lives
2. More than 80% of the women
diagnosed will NOT have a family history of breast cancer
3. Finding breast cancer when
it is small can mean local removal, avoiding more agressive therapy.
4. Early detection can increase
a woman's chance of survival by 81%
Let's discuss the three necessary
components of a comprehensive breast-screening program as recommended by the
American Cancer Society.
BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION
When it comes to breast
health, breast self-examination is one of the three components of a
comprehensive breast-screening program, as recommended by the American Cancer
Society. It is something every woman should do each month, to assist in the
early detection of breast cancer. It is easy to do and only takes a few
minutes and provides you with the best opportunity for a proactive approach to
breast cancer. Despite this easy procedure, many women are afraid, unsure or
simply uncomfortable with performing their self-exams. Learn to do this
regularly.
Click
here for a complete discussion on the 5 steps to breast
self-examination.
REGULAR BREAST EXAMS BY YOUR DOCTOR
Most lumps are actually
found by women themselves. However, studies have shown than combining the
regular self-exams with an annual exam by your doctor improves the chances of
detecting breast cancer early.
MAMMOGRAMS
Leading experts at the
American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute recommend annual
mammograms for all women over 40 years of age. However, there is a
misconception that mammograms will pick up every breast cancer. It doesn't,
since breast tissue itself may sometimes hide a small cancer (false negative).
Or sometimes mammograms suggest a small cancer or suspicious area that later
turns out to be a false alarm (false positive).
Sometimes your doctor will suggest a
repeat mammogram in a few months, or an additional procedure (such as a breast
MRI) if there is a suspicious area.
So don't forget--women need all three
preventative approaches discussed here to have the best chance at early
detection of breast cancer.
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