Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and while most people know about breast cancer, with many showing support by wearing pink ribbons, it's less known that it’s the most common cancer in American women and the second leading cause of cancer death in women globally. Educating ourselves on this disease is an important aspect of breast cancer awareness.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the risk of an American woman developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 12%, or a 1 in 8 chance. Further, the chance that a woman will die from breast cancer is about 2.6%, or a 1 in 38 chance. There are about 230,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in women in the U.S. each year, and about 2,300 new cases diagnosed in men.
The following are four key points to educate ourselves on reducing our risk for breast cancer:

1. Know your breasts

It is extremely important to know your breasts, what they look like, and know how they feel. Have your healthcare provider teach you how to give a proper self-exam and recognize changes that need to be examined.
 

1. Know the risk factors

The main risk factors are being a woman and getting older. Other risk factors that are out of our control are family history and inherited changes to certain genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Individuals can reduce their risk by controlling their weight, staying physically active, and having a balanced diet.
 

1. Get a mammogram

Mammograms save lives. Mammograms can detect breast cancer at early stages when it’s most treatable. To stay on top of your health, women should have a baseline mammogram at age 40 and then screen annually. If you have family history of breast cancer, an annual mammogram starting no later than ten years before the age of the earliest diagnosis, but not earlier than 25 or later than 40.
 

1. Breast cancer can happen to men

Even though it’s not that common, men can be affected by this disease as well. 1% of breast cancer cases occur in men. If caught early enough, there’s an increased chance of survival.  However, men often delay going to see a doctor even if they have noticed a breast lump. Since men don’t get mammograms, it’s important for men to be aware of their bodies and see a doctor if they discover a lump or nipple discharge such as blood. 

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Naila Abdul-Hakeem, MPH 

Naila Abdul-Hakeem, MPH is a Public Health Educator that has a YouTube channel called Accessing Care with Naila where she provides resources and information on ways to access health services without breaking the bank. She lives in Chicago with her husband and six-year-old cat