Sponsored by Baptist North Mississippi Cancer Center

 With October designated as national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Baptist encourages you to consider your own risks, family history and health.  We know catching breast cancer through early detection means it won’t catch you later—when it’s too late.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.  Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women with seventy-one percent of breast cancer related deaths occurring in women who did not undergo regular mammography screening.

Breast cancer is the growth of abnormal cells that can invade and damage normal tissue and can start in any part of the breast.  About 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary, caused by gene changes inherited from a parent.

Breast Cancer risk factors are anything that can increase or decrease a person’s chance of getting a disease, such as cancer.  There are many know factors for breast cancer.  Some of these can’t be changed, but some can.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

• Gender
  • Being a woman is the main risk factor for developing breast cancer.
• Aging
  • Risk increases, as a woman gets older.
• Race
  • The percentage of BCA Risk in both African American and Caucasian women are now equal.
  • African American women are more likely to die of this cancer.
• Dense breast tissue
• Family history of breast cancer
• Personal history of breast cancer
• Not having children or having them later in life (after age 30) puts a woman at a slightly higher risk.
• More menstrual cycles
• Not breastfeeding
• Physical activity – more activity lowers the risk
• Overweight
• Alcohol use

Preventing Breast Cancer

There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer but there are things ALL women can do that might reduce their risks and help increase their odds that if they do get breast cancer, it’s found at an early, more treatable stage.

How all women can lower risk:

• Get to and stay at a healthy weight
• Be physically active
• Limit alcohol use
• Consider birth control options that don’t use hormones
• Not using hormone therapy to deal with the symptoms of menopause

Ways to screen for breast cancer

• Mammogram
  • Annual screenings are recommended for women ages 45-54
• Breast Awareness
• Breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

ACS Recommendations for Early Breast Cancer Detection

For women at average risk for breast cancer

• Women age 40 to 44 should be able to start annual breast cancer screenings if they wish to do so
• Women ages 45-54 should get mammograms every year
• Women age 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or can continue annual screenings

If you are age 40 or older, talk to a health care provider about the breast cancer-screening plan that’s best for you.  Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live at least 10 or more years.

Our greatest weapon against breast cancer is early detection.

The Baptist ODC offers 3-D mammography, a screening tool that increase early detection of invasive cancers by more than 40% and increasing five-year survival rates to nearly 100%.

Call to 662-636-4252 to schedule your mammogram and Get Better with Baptist.

https://www.baptistcancercenter.com/locations/baptist-cancer-center-north-mississippi