October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, next to skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
The annual campaign promotes early detection by having mammograms and monthly self examinations.
There are several websites that explain how to do self examinations.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org has a lot of information about breast cancer, including the types, treatment, myths and more.
Did you know there are several types of breast cancer? Men are prone to breast cancer too. While breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, about 2,150 men are diagnosed with breast cancer yearly, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Approximately 410 men will die due to breast cancer this year.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and each year more than 220,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States, and more than 40,000 will die of it, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
The good news is female breast cancer rates have been decreasing since 2000, according to http://www.cancer.org. The decrease is credited to the decline in use of hormone therapy after menopause.
The other good news is death rates from breast cancer have been declining since around 1989, according to http://www.cancer.org. The decreases are believed to be because of early detection, increased awareness and improved treatment.
Mammograms have become more accessible for Platte Valley residents in the past several years, Carbon County Memorial Hospital in Rawlins has recently added a state-of-the-art mammogram center.
The Corbett Medical Foundation has a program for people without insurance. The patient pays $30 at the Platte Valley Medical Clinic and receives a voucher for a mammogram. The Corbett Medical Foundation pays the rest of the bill.
WY Women First, a program sponsored by General Electric (GE) and Susan G. Komen Foundation, offers help with screenings too. Their pamphlets can be picked up at The Platte Valley Medical Clinic.
Some insurance programs pay for 100 percent of the mammogram. Check with your insurance provider to find out if yours is one of them.
Most of all, don’t ignore symptoms. No one knows your body better than you do. Report changes to your doctor and make that appointment to have a mammogram.
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