BHSJ CHA Celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness
Friday October 4, 2019
Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency wants to remind residents about the importance of preventative screening.
“Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms,” says Yvonne Atwood, Director of Personal Health and Disease Prevention at the local health department. There are different symptoms of breast cancer, and some people have no symptoms at all. Symptoms can include:
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Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
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Pain in any area of the breast.
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Nipple discharge other than breast milk (including blood).
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A new lump in the breast or underarm.
If you have any signs that worry you, don’t wait to see if it will go away! See your doctor immediately. Most women who get breast cancer have no known risk factors and no history of the disease in their families. Many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence your breast cancer risk. You can’t change some factors, such as getting older or your family history, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by taking care of your health in the following ways:
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Keep a healthy weight.
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Exercise regularly.
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Don’t drink alcohol, or limit alcoholic drinks to no more than one per day.
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If you are taking, or have been told to take, hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives (birth control pills), ask your doctor about the risks and find out if it is right for you.
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Breastfeed your children, if possible.
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If you have a family history of breast cancer, talk to your doctor about other ways to lower your risk.
Each year in the United States, more than 245,000 women get breast cancer and more than 40,000 women die from the disease. Men also get breast cancer, but it is not very common. Less than 1% of breast cancers occur in men. Although breast cancer screening cannot prevent breast cancer, it can help find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat. Talk to your doctor about breast cancer screening.