Stressing importance of breast health

Reach out for health tab.

Across the country and throughout Maine during October, there will be many programs and presentations to inform women of the importance of breast health.

Women’s health organizations are joining forces with the American Cancer Society and the YWCA to provide information on breast-cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

According the report “Women’s Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs About Mammography,” breast cancer nationally “is a leading cause of cancer deaths in women, second only to lung cancer.”

Maine women are no exception. Each year, there are 750 breast-cancer cases reported and 225 deaths from the disease. This means that each week, five Maine women will die from breast cancer. Many more people will be affected by the loss of these women from their homes, schools, places of work and communities.

“Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate as to age or background. It happens to all kinds of women,” said Suzanne Lemieux, RN, of the Penobscot Unit of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors and director of the Women’s Center at St. Joseph Hospital.

The articles appearing in this special section were provided by Jennie Borodko Stack, NEWS advertising staff writer.

Breast cancer is still the most common form of cancer in American women, but the diagnosis does not automatically mean removal of the breast. Today, breast cancer can be caught at an earlier stage than ever before and treated successfully.

If you remember only one thing about breast cancer, it should be this:

Your best protection is early detection, which provides the best opportunity to treat breast cancer successfully.

What causes breast cancer?

While it is known that breast cancer results from the abnormal growth of cells in breast tissue, it is not known what causes this abnormal growth.

The most important risk factors for breast cancer are advanced age and a family history of breast cancer. In addition, your risk is increased if you have never had children, had your first child after age 30, began menstruating before age 12, began menopause after age 55 or eat a diet high in fat.

What you should know about breast cancer

One out of every 10 American women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

Mammography can reveal small breast-cancers up to two years before they can be felt.

Modern mammography techniques expose women to only minimal amounts of radiation.

The overall five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 74 percent. However, the five-year survival rate for localized breast cancer has risen to 90 percent because of advances in early detection, improved surgical procedures, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy.

More than 80 percent of breast lumps are not cancerous.

A three-step program for early detection of breast cancer.

Step 1: A mammogram is a special breast x-ray that can reveal a small breast-cancer up to two years before it can be felt. If you are 40 or older, schedule regular mammograms.

Step 2: Examine your breasts:

You should examine your breasts monthly, several days after your menstrual period, or on the same day every month if you no longer menstruate. Your famly physician can show you how to do this. If you find a lump, do not be alarmed, as breast lumps are common. You should consult your physician, however, for an expert opinion.

Step 3: See your physician regularly. Self-examination, although important, is not enough. If you are between 20 and 40 years old, your breasts should be examined by your physician at least once every three years. If you are over 40, you should be examined every year.

— From the American Cancer Society brochure “Breast Cancer…