October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While most people are aware that breast cancer exists, there’s still much that can be done to inform people about the disease. Educating yourself and those in your community is an important part of breast cancer awareness.
Educate yourself
There’s a lot of misinformation about breast cancer and common knowledge about breast cancer that isn’t actually accurate. Having the wrong information, or not having the information at all, can stand in the way of women receiving the care that they need.
Stay informed and seek out accurate information about breast cancer. However, it’s important to examine online health information critically. Is the information coming from a reliable source? Are the findings current? Check multiple sources to see if the information agrees.
Doctors and nurses are your best resources for reliable health information. If you have questions about your personal health, or even just questions about health in general, medical professionals provide accurate, reliable information. Reach out to your doctor’s office if you have questions about breast health.
Educate others
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a great opportunity to start conversations about breast cancer. Send a text or email to women you know, or share information on social media; encourage other women to speak with medical professionals about breast cancer and breast health.
Here are a few ways that you can start the conversation:
The two greatest risk factors for breast cancer? Being a woman and getting older. Click To Tweet Mammography helps detect cancer in its earliest stages when the disease is most treatable. Click To Tweet No one in your family has ever had breast cancer? That's great, but anyone can develop the disease. Only 5-10% of breast cancer is hereditary. Click To Tweet Lifestyle choices — such as maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and limiting alcohol consumption — can reduce your risk for breast cancer. Click To Tweet Breast cancer doesn't always cause symptoms. Don't rely on self-exams to detect breast cancer. Click To TweetInclude informative links about breast cancer to help educate other women in your life. Here are some respectable sources:
- Breast Cancer Facts and Statistics from Susan G. Komen
- Breast Cancer Myths and Facts from Breastcancer.org
- What is Breast Cancer from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Breast Cancer from the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Breast Cancer Prevention from the National Cancer Institute
Know your risk
One out of every eight women develop breast cancer; that’s the most common statistic that you hear about the disease. However, this commonly quoted figure does not necessarily indicate your personal risk for developing breast cancer.
It’s important to understand the difference between relative risk and absolute risk for breast cancer. You have a 12% relative risk for breast cancer simply by being a woman. Your personal risk could be much higher, however.
Knowing your personal risk helps you get the care that you need. Take this Breast Cancer Risk Quiz to learn your personal risk for breast cancer.
Schedule a mammogram
If you are a woman over 40, you should be getting a mammogram every year. The Breast Center, The American Medical Association, the National Cancer Institute, the Society for Breast Imaging, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Radiology all recommend annual screening mammograms for women 40 years of age and older.
Take the opportunity to schedule a mammography screening if you haven’t had a mammogram this year. You can request an appointment online, or call 479-422-6266 for information about scheduling mammograms in Northwest Arkansas.