FOR YOUR HEALTH: Breast health what you need to know – ThisWeek Community News

We all know at least one woman who has endured breast cancer. In the UnitedStates, breast cancer is the second-most common cancer in women after skincancer. In the U.S. this year, an estimated 330,000 new cases of breast cancer willbe diagnosed in women. Lets make the math easy thats about 1 in 8 womenwho will develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. 1 in 8! It maysurprise you to hear that about 2,670 new cases of breast cancer are expected inmen this year. Yes, men can get breast cancer, too. A mans lifetime risk of breastcancer is about 1 in 880.

The figure for men is much lower than for women, but typically men arediagnosed at a later stage, simply because they think breast cancer only affectswomen. Men can develop breast cancer because they also have breast tissue.Notice the odds, though: women 1 in 8; men 1 in 880.The reason men are less affected is because their breast duct cells are obviouslyless developed, so there are fewer cells to "go rogue." Researchers primarilybelieve lifelong exposure to female hormones seems to be a key factor. Girls whobegin menstruating at an early age, or women who enter menopause later in life,have a higher risk. Women who dont become pregnant, or do so later in life, arealso at higher risk. Women who dont breastfeed also have slightly more risk. Thispoints to hormonal exposure correlating with breast cancer.

Although there isnt a lot you can or should do to alter the hormonal changes yourbody naturally experiences monthly and as you age, other environmental factors,such as obesity, alcohol intake, diet, exercise level and the use of hormonereplacement therapy are also likely related to higher incidences of breast cancer.With all those possible risk factors, staying active, eating right, controlling stress,reducing your alcohol intake and generally leading a healthy lifestyle can allreduce your chances of developing breast cancer. And, you should pay attentionto your body and notice any changes in your breasts.

Whats normal and when should you be concerned? Simply stated, no two sets ofbreasts are alike. The best advice is to know your body and whats normal for you.After a woman goes through puberty, she should become familiar with how herbreasts look and any changes that occur. If a woman normally has an invertednipple, for example, and it begins protruding or one breast begins to change insize, these changes should be considered suspicious. It's less important to knowwhats normal in all women than to know whats normal for you, and noticingany changes.

In addition to knowing her own body and recognizing changes, mammography is avery important tool in detecting potential breast disease early. A mammogram isan X-ray of the breast used to detect breast disease, whether there aretroublesome signs or not. A mammogram will not prove that an abnormal area iscancer, but when the suspicious area is found it can then be examined and propertreatment can be started early.

Who should get a mammogram? First, women should definitely be seen by aphysician who will probably order a diagnostic mammography if there aresymptoms such as a palpable lump, breast skin thickening or indentation, nippledischarge or retraction, sores of the nipple or breast pain.

If you have a first-degree female relative (mother, daughter, sister) who wasdiagnosed at an early age, the recommendation is to start getting mammograms10 years before the age when it first appeared in your relative. According to thisguideline, if your mother was diagnosed at age 45, you would begin annualmammograms at age 35.

For those with no symptoms and no family history of breast cancer, not all healthorganizations identify age 40 as a hard and fast rule for the first mammogram, butmany do. All these organizations recognize the fact that beginning at age 40 savesthe most lives. When it comes to increasing your chance of survival with breastcancer, the earlier you screen for it, the better. If you are at least 40 and you aretrying to decide when to have your NEXT mammogram, consult your health careprovider regarding the screening guidelines that are appropriate for you. But ifyou are at least 40 and are trying to decide when to have your FIRST screeningmammogram its today.

For questions, or to schedule your mammogram in the Ashland County area callUH Samaritan Womens Health Services at 419-207-9272Anywhere in northeastern Ohio go to uhhospitals.org

Steven Baldridge, RN, is staff educator at University Hospitals Samaritan.

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FOR YOUR HEALTH: Breast health what you need to know - ThisWeek Community News