Check Yourself: Breast Health

One in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. It is the second-most common cancer women in America face, and each year 250,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and about 2,300 cases are diagnosed in men, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so Haskell Memorial Hospital wants to make sure you’re doing all you can to stay safe.

The main factors that increase a person’s risk of getting breast cancer are being a woman, being over the age of 50, and certain genetics. While these factors can’t be changed, early detection is critically important:

1. Know the symptoms and signs. New lumps, thickening, swelling, or increased pain in the breast are just some of the warning signs of breast cancer. The presence of symptoms doesn’t automatically mean that you have the disease, but it does mean that you should tell your healthcare provider so they can investigate.

2. Get checked monthly. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early and is in the localized stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 99%. You can perform a breast self-exam or get a periodic clinical breast exam or mammogram from your provider.

3. Reduce your risk. Although breast cancer isn’t preventable, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, eating fruits and vegetables, not smoking, and limiting alcohol consumption can lower your risk.

Click here to learn if you are eligible for free or low-cost screenings.