Breast Cancer In Women - Save Your Life!

There are many women who have never had a mammogram and didn’t think they needed one. There are women in their 70’s who are too embarrassed to discuss this subject with their doctors. Many women are confused or have not been educated to this deadly cancer. Many women are not aware that after age 40 your risk for breast cancer rises.

African-American women are reported to get a more advanced and aggressive form of breast cancer and more of them die statistically. White women fare better but their rates are slightly increased.

In the UK it’s reported that the deprived or lower classes have greater incidence of breast cancer. Hispanic women are at risk. Some women don’t believe it can happen to them because they have no risk factors.

But... the truth of the matter is that if you have breasts, you are at risk!

In my humble opinion, all of the statistics are important because they are based on many studies being done globally to help save women’s lives. However, don’t you think it would be easier for all of us to just focus on prevention and early detection?

I thought about the pain and suffering of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, medications, repeated blood tests and frequent regular visits to the doctor or hospital. Some of these treatments cause baldness! Which is worse, the treatment for breast cancer in women, or the prevention and early detection? You decide.

*Mammogram: Every year for women age 40 and over.

*Breast exam by a health professional: Every year after age 40.

*Breast self-exam: Women over 40 should report any breast changes to a health professional immediately.

Find out more about breast cancer screening.

Your chances of developing breast cancer by age are:

*40: one in 68

*50: one in 37

*60: one in 26

*70: one in 24

Lifetime risk: one in 8.

• Family history
• Race (whites more likely to get breast cancer, blacks more likely to die of it)
• Having first period before age 12 or menopause after 55
• Not having children, or having first child after age 30
• Post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy for several years or more
• Little or no breast-feeding
• Two to five alcoholic drinks daily
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise
• Cancer genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2

Mammograms save lives. Breast cancer knows no seasons. Breast cancer indiscriminately attacks the famous and the nameless, without warning.

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