LUBEC — Noting that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Marilyn Hughes, R.N., of the Regional Medical Center at Lubec advises women between the ages of 20 and 39 to have breast exams at least every three years, while older women should have annual exams.

Hughes, director of Community Education at RMCL, points out that women should do breast self-examinations monthly, to make it easier to notice changes. “A mammogram, which is an X-ray of the breast, can be scheduled during annual check-ups with the family doctor, who can at that time explain how to do self-examinations,” Hughes said. “Even if a woman has no symptoms she should have a mammogram at regular intervals.”

According to the American Cancer Society, about one woman in nine in the United States will develop the disease, a major cause of illness and death. Most women treated at an early stage remain free from the disease.

Step-by-step brochures detailing self-examination procedure are available without charge at the medical center. Call Hughes at 733-5541 for more information.