Life Is An Adventure. Take Charge of Your Health - Breast Cancer Screenings
Engaging in healthy behaviors and practices such as getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet, are only part of the plan to a healthy lifestyle. Getting routine preventative care is another important aspect of this plan to help you stay well. Prevention is the best medicine! Preventative medicine can help to catch problems earlier, when they are often easier to treat, helping you live a longer, healthier life.
1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Chances are you know at least one person who has been personally affected by breast cancer. But there is hope, when caught in its earliest, localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%. Thanks to advances in early detection and treatment methods breast cancer survival rates have significantly increased in recent years.
Breast cancer screenings are important preventative care screenings that check for signs or symptoms of breast cancer. Although breast cancer screenings cannot prevent cancer, they can detect cancer early on, when it is easier to treat. The United States Preventive Services Task Force, an organization of doctors and disease experts, recommends that women who are 50 to 74 years old and at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every two years. However, it may be suggested that you start having mammograms earlier based on personal risk factors.
Common breast cancer screening tests include mammograms, breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and clinical breast exams. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast; they are often the best way to find breast cancer early for many women. A breast MRI uses magnets and radio waves to take pictures of the breast. A breast MRI is often used along with mammograms to screen women who are at high risk for getting breast cancer. A clinical breast exam is an examination by a doctor or nurse, using their hands to feel for lumps in the breast tissue. As with any health issue, it is important to be able to advocate for your health. Being familiar with how your body looks and feels can help you to notice changes that may be of concern. In the case of breast cancer, changes may present as lumps, pain, or changes in size. These changes may be found during a breast self-exam.
Although it is very rare, men can develop breast cancer as well. Risk factors for breast cancer in men include radiation exposure, high levels of the hormone estrogen, and a family history of breast cancer - especially breast cancer that is related to the BRCA2 gene. Most often breast cancer is found in men through a self-exam, a lump is often found in the tissue. It is also common for men to delay reporting this find to their doctor, which can result in the patient requiring more treatment. Anyone who notices anything unusual about their breasts, whether male or female, should contact their doctor immediately.
Breast cancer screenings are important for early detection of breast cancer, when it is often easier to treat. Talk with your primary care provider to find which screenings and tests are right for you and when you should have them. Call your healthcare provider to schedule your screening today!
Life Is An Adventure. Take Charge of Your Health.
Jackson County: Healthy People, Strong Community.
