October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month*

(Disclaimer Note: The following is for informational purposes only. If you're the one/s concerned, consult or visit your doctor or healthcare provider. Thank you.)

In my desire to share my thoughts, I took some time to write about an issue that pertains most especially to women. (But men are also vulnerable to this problem as I have encountered one case while I was still working in a naval military hospital a decade or two ago. Yes, men can also have breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute reports that about 2,000 men are diagnosed each year.) I dedicate this piece in honor of the memory of my mother-in-law, Zeny, who passed away due to breast cancer almost two decades ago. Had she lived through the years, she would have witnessed how her two grand children have grown to become college students. (Author's note: They're both college graduates and now working, attached to or connected with AmeriCorps.) Mama Zeny did have a mastectomy (surgical removal of the diseased breast) and chemotherapy afterwards. But, I learned afterwards that the cancer has metastasized (spread throughout). May she rest in peace. Amen.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This observance highlights the importance of early detection, prevention, and protection from breast cancer and other related abnormalities. It's been said that early detection is the key to cancer survival.

In his book, "Breast Care: The Good News," Dr. W.R. Spence notes that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women between the ages of 40 and 55, second only to lung cancer. He also writes that about one in every 10 will develop benign breast tumors, nine out of 10 breast tumors will be found by women themselves, and 9.5 out of 10 will be alive five years or more after treatment. So with early detection, the rate of survival could certainly be 95 percent. Breast cancer survivors attest to the fact that early detection plays a vital role in their survival and success.

Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society has set guidelines for early breast-cancer detection. At 40, all women should have at least one screening or baseline mammograms (the very first X-ray data or pictures of the breasts that serve as the basis for future comparison). For women age 40 and over, they should have a mammography every one or two years or as directed by their doctor or healthcare provider. Women at high risk should have a frequent or regular mammography, as per their doctor's recommendation. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam every three years, and every year for women 40 years old and over. For women starting in their 20s, a monthly breast self-exam is an option. Women should know how their breasts normally feel and should report any breast pain or change (unusual appearance and/or size) promptly to their doctor or healthcare provider.

Moreover, Dr. Spence also recommends females should perform breast self-examination at least once a month. These exams play an important part in the early detection of any breast abnormality. The best time to perform them, he suggests, is seven to 10 days after their last menstrual period. To learn or find out more how to perform a breast self-exam (BSE), visit www.cancer.org. (Note: There are also educational videos on YouTube about this topic. You're more than welcome to check them out for yourselves. Thank you.)

To recap or sum it up, routine mammography is one of the best tools to detect breast cancer. If you haven't had one, consult or visit your doctor and, if s/he recommends an X-ray of your breast, obtain a referral from her/him to have a mammogram.

Now, once your doctor or healthcare provider has accessed/obtained/reviewed the results of your mammogram, he or she'll confer with you and if he or she found something significant from the X-rays s/he'll tell you upfront. That's when a follow up visit to your doctor will be set or scheduled.

For information about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit www.nbcam.org. To learn more information about breast cancer, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit their website at www.cancer.org. Likewise, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info.-chris a. quilpa, 12 October 2012

P.S.
*The above article of mine appeared in the Suffolk News-Herald on 09 October 2008.