National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is coming

With the fall season almost upon us, it is important to remember that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Today, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death among North American women. Unfortunately, many women with breast cancer do not even know that they have cancer until it is in its advanced stages.

It is estimated that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and one in 30 women will die of the disease, Rhodes says.

So what can we do to decrease our risk of dying of breast cancer? Early detection via health screenings, such as mammography, is an important step. Screening examinations can detect breast cancers early, before symptoms occur, which may make it easier to treat the disease.

Screening involves getting mammograms, clinical breast exams, and self breast exams, which are optional. There are many factors in predicting the chances of survival of a woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer, but finding the cancer as early as possible greatly improves the likelihood that treatment will be effective.

When should women starting screening for breast cancer? If you are over 40 years old, you need a mammogram every year, according to Courtney Schoessow, health program specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

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