Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Early detection, including mammograms and self breast exams, offer the best chance of a cure.
McLeod Health Clarendon has provided these facts and observations about breast cancer.
* More than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
* When detected early, breast cancer has a five-year survival rate of greater than 98 percent.
* A woman has a 1-8 chance of a diagnosis with breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
* A mammogram is the best way to detect breast cancer.
* Women 40 and older are encouraged to have a mammogram every year.
* Currently, medical science shows no support for discontinuing mammograms at a certain age.
* Medical estimates indicate that there could be as many as 40,610 breast cancer deaths in 2017
* Breast cancer occurs when cells divide and grow without their normal control.
* Ducal carcinoma in situ occurs when the abnormal cells grow inside the milk ducts, but have not spread to nearby tissue. It is a non-invasive form of breast cancer.
* Invasive breast cancer is, as it sounds, when cancer cells spread to nearby tissues or other parts of the body.
* Warning signs are not the same for all women. The most common signs are a change in the look or feel of the breast, a change in the look or feel of the nipple and nipple discharge.
McLeod officials want to remind women to be proactive about their health and especially about their breast health. Women should practice monthly breast self-exams, schedule annually primary care check-ups and, most importantly, have an annual mammogram.
Women know their bodies, and if they have any changes or a palpable lump, they should consult their primary care physician immediately. Early detection is extremely important.
