| OCTOBER IS BREAST
CANCER AWARENESS MONTH |
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Other than skin cancer, breast
cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United
States. In 2003, an estimated 211,000 women will be diagnosed with
breast cancer. |
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The age-adjusted incidence of invasive breast cancer
reveals that white, Hawaiian, and black women have the highest rates
in the
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) regions. The lowest rates occur among Korean, American
Indian, and Vietnamese women. The incidence rate for white
non-Hispanic women is four times as high as that for the lowest group
(Korean women). |
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| SCREENING |
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The main
screening tools for breast cancer are breast self-exam (BSE),
clinical breast exam (CBE), and mammogram. Decisions about
screening tests can be difficult. Not all screening tests are
helpful and most have risks. Before having any screening test, you may
want to discuss the test with your doctor. It is important to know the
risks of the test and whether it has been proven to reduce the risk of
dying from
cancer. |
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Although mammograms are the best way to find breast
abnormalities early, they do have some limitations. A mammogram may
miss some cancers that are present (false negative) or may find things
that turn out not to be cancer (false positive). And detecting a tumor
early does not guarantee that a woman's life will be saved. Some
fast-growing breast cancers may already have spread to other parts of
the body before being detected. Nevertheless, studies show that
mammograms reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer. |
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| WHAT YOU CAN DO |
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Most doctors recommend that women in their forties and
older have mammograms regularly, every 1 to 2 years. |
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Women should talk with their doctor about factors that
can increase their chance of getting breast cancer. Women of any age
who are at higher risk for developing this disease should ask their
doctor when to start and how often to be checked for breast cancer.
Women can take an active part in the early detection of breast cancer
by having regularly scheduled
screening mammograms and clinical breast exams (breast exams
performed by health professionals). Some women also perform breast
self-exams. |
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When doing a breast self-exam, it's important to
remember that each woman's breasts are different, and that changes can
occur because of aging, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, or
taking birth control pills or other hormones. It is normal for the
breasts to feel a little lumpy and uneven. Also, it is common for a
woman's breasts to be swollen and tender right before or during her
menstrual period. Women in their forties and older should be aware
that a monthly breast self-exam is not a substitute for regularly
scheduled screening mammograms and clinical breast exams by a health
professional. |
