It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month ...
... and boy, am I aware. I've gotten bombarded with information today from a wide variety of sources. Some of this will become short items in the paper, some might develop into full-fledged stories and some might show up here in the blog.
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women after skin cancer, and more women die of invasive breast cancer than any other cancer except lung cancer.
Some 178,480 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2007. About 40,460 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are about 2.5 million breast-cancer survivors in the United States.
The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8.
So you should be aware, too.
One way you can do that, if you're a woman, is by being screened regularly. One way you can do that is by taking part in free screening offered by the Guilford County Department of Public Health’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program.
The department's guidelines are that women must be Guilford County residents age 50 or older, not enrolled in Medicare part B or Medicaid, and meet income guidelines for the program. On-site services include blood pressure screening, cholesterol screening, clinical breast exam and Pap smear. The program also refers eligible patients to another facility for mammograms.
Clinics are held Tuesdays at 1100 E. Wendover Ave. in Greensboro and Wednesdays at 501 E. Green Drive in High Point. You can get more information or make an appointment by calling 641-3233.
The Department also offers some tips on reducing your risk of getting breast cancer:
- Control your weight and exercise. Make healthy choices in the foods you eat and the kinds of drinks you have each day. Stay active.
- Know your family history of breast cancer. If you have a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer, ask your doctor what is your risk of getting breast cancer and how you can lower your risk.
- Find out the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy. Some women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat the symptoms of menopause. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of HRT and find out if hormone replacement therapy is right for you.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Get screened for breast cancer regularly. By getting the necessary exams, you can increase your chances of finding out early on, if you have breast cancer.
