Uncategorized

Find Out What Breast Cancer Awareness Can Mean For You

Find Out What Breast Cancer Awareness Can Mean For You

Unless you have been living in a cave for the past several years, you have probably encountered many of the breast cancer awareness days that have been happening in various communities around the country. These are put on by local groups and the American Cancer Society for a very good reason — to raise your breast cancer awareness level.

You may be asking yourself why should my awareness be raised, since I am already familiar with the possibility of breast cancer. The big problem is that there is not a known cure at this point for breast cancer, so your best defense is early detection and early diagnosis. Someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer in its very early stages has a significantly higher chance of being able to beat it with the treatments that are available today.

Did you know that the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be more than 200,000 reported cases of breast cancer this year? The number of reported cases is rising every year, but for some reason, there are also many people who do not take this disease seriously. Believe it or not, there are some women who have gone more than 4 or 5 years without an examination, which is just asking for trouble. If they develop breast cancer in the meantime, it will clearly not qualify as an “early detection” and it could be fatal for them.

Did you know that breast cancer is not limited to women? That’s right, the American Cancer Society estimate that approximately 1600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and that about 400 of them will die from it.

You should become aware of the typical symptoms of breast cancer and be sure to see your doctor if any of those symptoms occur. For women, a checkup should be planned at least once every 2 or 3 years, and over age 40, at least every year. You may want to have exams more often if there is a history of breast cancer in your family, although studies to date are inconclusive as to whether or not breast cancer can be termed hereditary.

Raise your breast cancer awareness levels and get those checkups. Be aware of the symptoms and if you see any of them, be sure to get an exam soon. Remember, the best chances for beating breast cancer are early detection and early diagnosis.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *