Mammogram & Self-Exam

A breast self-exam is something that can be done at home. It is a check up that can check for changes or problems in the breast tissue. The monthly breast exam is better to perform about 3-5 days after your period starts. It is best to do it every month at the same time. Remember that screenings are important for early detection. Be familiar with your breasts so you are able to notice any changes or problems with them.

source: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001993.htm

Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristic masses or microcalcifications. Screenings are very important to start after age 45. Then at age 55 every other year. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammography

source: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/some-women-should-have-mammograms-starting-at-age-30

Breast Cancer Risks Factors in Women!

A risk factor is anything that increases your risks to develop breast cancer. Some risks that we have no control over is your age, family history and medical history, gender, race, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Some risks you can control:

Weight: being overweight is an increased risk of developing breasts cancer.

Exercise: exercise can decrease your risks of breast cancer

Alcohol Consumption: breast cancer risks increases with the amount of alcohol a woman drinks

Smoking: smoking is associated with a small increase in breast cancer.

Exposure to Estrogen: female hormone stimulates breast cell growth can increase risk of breast cancer

Source: https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/risk/factors

Breast Cancer Statistics in Woman!

• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• In 2019, an estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S.
• About 41,760 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2019 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989. Women under 50 have experienced larger decreases. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
• For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.

Breast cancer in women is much more common. Over the years death rates have been decreasing because women have been screening, with mammograms and self-exams. Also, there has been so much awareness with breast cancer people are more aware on what to look for. There are some women who are at higher risk, which was discussed in another post that I wrote about. 

source: https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics

Breast Cancer Statistics in Men!

• Breast cancer in men is a rare disease
• Less than 1% of all breast cancer occur in men 
• In 2019, about 2,670 men are expected to be diagnosed
• About 500 men will die from Breast Cancer
• Black men have the highest incidence rates (2.7 out of every 100,000 men), followed by white men (1.9 out of every 100,000 men)

Source: https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/types/male_bc

Source: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer-men/statistics

Although Breast Cancer is rare in men it is important to be aware of the statistics and the symptoms. Early detection is very important to catch the disease early on. Many men are not aware that they can get this disease and might be embarrassed or in disbelief. There's some men that will die from this disease. Nobody really thinks about men. Men that have breast cancer in their families are at higher risks. 

One of my previous jobs was a receptionist at a doctors office. At the doctors office I had many tasks including checking in patients for mammograms and biopsies. There were a few times that I can remember some men coming in that seemed a little embarrassed when I would give them directions to the mammogram office. To me it was "normal" and nothing for them to be embarrassed about. 

Men Can Get Breast Cancer too!

Many people forget that not only woman can get breast cancer men can too. There are about three different treatment option depending on what stage and situation you have going on. Those three treatments are having surgery to remove the breast tissue, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Signs & Symptoms for men:

• A painless lump, or thickening in your breast tissue
• Changes to the skin covering your breast, such as dimpling, puckering, redness, or scaling. 
• Changes to your nipple, such as redness, or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward.
• Discharge form your nipple

Men are not aware that there is a chance that they can get breast cancer. The types of breast cancer that they can get is ductal carcinoma. Ductal carcinoma is cancer that begins in the milk ducts. Majority of cancer found in men are ductal carcinoma. Lobular carcinoma is cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands. Lobular carcinoma is a form of breast cancer that is rarely found in men because men have few lobules in their breast tissue. Other types of breast cancer are Paget's disease and inflammatory breast cancer. Usually breast cancer awareness organizations are always showing women with breast cancer and are not showing men. Every individual woman or man are born with a portion of breast tissue 

Lists of Risk Factors

• Older Age
• Exposure to estrogen
• Family history of Breast Cancer
• Klinefelter's syndrome
• Liver disease 
• Obesity 
• Testicle Disease or surgery

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/male-breast-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20374740

Here's a story about a man who was diagnosed with breast cancer!

check out the website!

https://www.gethealthystayhealthy.com/articles/breast-cancer-in-men-michaels-story

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OCTOBER IS ALL ABOUT BREAST CANCER 
AWARENESS! WEAR PINK!

I picked this topic because I once knew someone that was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and she was an amazing individual.  

This blog is to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. Help individuals educate themselves with early detection. As it says in the video breast cancer touches us in some way. It can be one of two things or even both that is having breast cancer or having someone you love diagnosed with breast cancer. 

WEAR PINK! GO TO A EVENT! DONATE!

October is known for a month to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. If you see a team wearing anything pink it usually means that they are supporting the cause. Not only is wearing pink a way to promote breast cancer awareness. Also, there can be events where you can walk or run for Breast Cancer.

HOW ARE YOU PARTICIPATING IN BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH?

1.) ARE YOU WEARING PINK?

2.) SCHEDULING A MAMMO?

3.) DONATING TO BREAST CANCER RESEARCH?

4.) TAKE PART IN FUNDRAISER/WALK?

5.) EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT BREAST CANCER?

COMMENT! COMMENT! COMMENT!


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