October is a month known for scary things other than goblins and witches. Breast cancer awareness month is to remind us that scary is getting a call back that your mammogram shows something suspicious. And horrifying is getting told that the biopsy shows breast cancer. This year, over 360,000 women – and 2,800 men – will experience a diagnosis of breast cancer, according to predictions from the National Breast Cancer Center.
The Center goes to report:
- Half of U.S. women who develop breast cancer are 62 years of age or younger when they are diagnosed.
- About 9% of all new breast cancer cases in the U.S. are diagnosed in women younger than 45 years old.5
- Younger people, particularly those under age 35, at the time of their original breast cancer diagnosis, face a higher risk of breast cancer recurrence.
But the point is not to scare you, but to educate you. When breast cancer is caught in its earliest, localized stages, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%. So, we’re here to help you recognize the symptoms and know your risk factors to stay alive for your family and friends.
Signs of Breast Cancer for Women
Pay attention to how your breasts normally look and feel and how they change, noticing:
- Any new lump, whether it’s hard and painless or soft and tender
- Thickening or swelling of a breast. One may suddenly look slightly larger.
- Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collarbone
- Itchy, red, scaled, dimpled or puckered skin around the breast
- If the nipple goes inward or pulls to the side
- Any clear or bloody discharge from the nipple
If one of the above signs wasn’t there before and persists for a week or more, see your doctor even if you’ve had a mammogram three or so months before.
Symptoms for Men
According to the Mayo Clinic, breast cancer is most commonly diagnosed in men in their 60s. While less than 1 percent of the male population is diagnosed with breast cancer, more men die from it than women, because they ignore symptoms as something else, or they are too embarrassed to see a doctor. That’s why they should seek care immediately if they notice symptoms similar to women: a lump in the breast or armpit, nipple flattening or inversion, nipple redness, scaling or even discharge and, often, a change in the size or shape of a breast.
Reduce Your Risk
Studies have shown that as many as 50 to 70 percent of breast cancers can be prevented, depending on when people adopt risk-reducing behaviors and lifestyle changes.
Know Your Family History – (on your father’s side too). If there is a history of breast cancer on either side, that’s something your doctor should know.
Get enough sleep – Postmenopausal women with breast cancer who routinely sleep less than six hours a night may be twice as likely to have more aggressive breast cancers. Sufficient sleep is responsible for maintaining our circadian rhythm, which regulates our body’s natural DNA repair.
Lose weight – Fat tissue produces excess amounts of estrogen, which has been shown to be linked to cancer. What’s more, research has shown that fat also raises insulin levels, which can stimulate tumor growth. Active women who gained weight after menopause had an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Diet – Eat less red meat, and especially processed meats. Concentrate on red and orange vegetables and fruits, like carrots, squash, tomatoes, melon, and sweet potatoes, that all contain high levels of beta carotene and other carotenoids, which studies found to lower risk of estrogen receptor tumors. Also, include beans and nuts in your daily diet.
In a recent study from the Women’s Health Initiative, postmenopausal women who ate less fat and more fiber decreased their risk of dying from breast cancer.
Quit Smoking – Numerous studies have shown a link between smoking and an increased risk of developing breast and other cancers. If you smoke or have smoked in the past and have a family history of breast cancer, you have an even higher risk.
Limit alcohol – Alcohol is a known carcinogen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol raises a person’s risk for six types of cancer, including breast cancer (in women.)
Exercise – Do activity of any sort (walking, gardening, exercising- even housework) for 30 minutes a day. The latest research shows that any physical activity protects against breast cancer, even if you start after menopause.
When to Have a Mammogram
Recently, the United States Preventive Services Task Force took a significant step toward encouraging early detection when it changed its guidelines to recommend that women get mammograms starting at age 40 (sooner if there is a family history) instead of 50 and every year until age 55, and continue yearly mammograms up to at least age 74.
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