Regardless of the month, be “aware” of breast cancer prevention, detection and risk!
From the staff of the Center for Women’s Health at Ephrata Community Hospital.
October is designated as national breast cancer awareness month, but don't allow your breast cancer awareness to pass. There are 11 more months in the year. We all need to be vigilant in our efforts for early detection - which leads to early treatment - which in turn means better survival.
However, it's not just about breast cancer. Rather, we need to keep our awareness all year round assessing our breast health. Monthly breast self exams (BSE) can put you in charge. Studies show that women find 90 percent of breast lumps that can be felt. Yet, only small percentages practice BSE regularly. It literally takes only minutes to do. Surely we can all fit that in our schedules. The two other components of breast health include your regularly scheduled mammogram and your clinical breast exam. Your screening mammograms can be conveniently scheduled at several locations within the Ephrata Community Hospital health system. Your clinical breast exam should be scheduled with your health care provider.
Statistics report the risk of developing breast cancer over your lifetime as “1 in 8”. What does that mean to you if you’re 40 years old? According to the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, the estimated probability of being diagnosed with breast cancer within specific age groups is generally perceived as more informative. So, as a 40 year old woman, you can now look at these probabilities and see your risk from age 40 to 49 is “1 in 69” (see below). There are limitations to these statistics because the numbers are averages for the whole population. For instance, these statistics cannot take into account whether or not you may have any individual risk factors that include family history and other information.
Your chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer broken down by age groups follows:
Age 30 through 39 … “1 in 233”
Age 40 through 49 … “1 in 69”
Age 50 through 59 … “1 in 38”
Age 60 through 69 … “1 in 27”
For instruction in breast self-exam, you may contact your health care provider or call the Center for Women's Health to schedule your instruction. Better yet, call a few friends and bring them along. Our number is 721-5750.
