Did You Know?
- After skin cancer, breast cancer is the number one cancer in women
- One in nine women will get breast cancer by age 80
- The chance of getting breast cancer goes up with age
- Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer
- Death rates from breast cancer declined significantly during 1992 to 1996, with the largest decreases in younger women -- both white and black
- Recognized Risk Factors For Breast Cancer
- Early detection is the key
The Three-Step Approach
- Monthly Breast Self-Exams
- By regularly examining her own breasts, a woman is likely to notice any changes that occur
- The best time for breast self examination (BSE) is about a week after your period ends, when your breasts are not tender or swollen
- If you are not having regular periods, do BSE on the same day every month
- How to Perform a Breast Self Examination - Susan Komen Foundation
- Clinical Breast Exam
- A clinical breast exam is performed by a trained medical professional
- It includes inspection (looking) and palpation (feeling) of the entire breast/chest area including the lymph node areas
above and below the collarbone and under each arm
- A small percentage of breast cancers are not detected by mammography but can be felt during a clinical breast examination
- Current recommendations are for women between age 20 - 39 to have a clinical breast exam every three years and for women age 40 and over to have one yearly
- Mammography
- A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast
- The purpose of a screening mammogram is to detect an unsuspected abnormality in a
woman who is not having any new breast problems or symptoms
- Mammography is the best screening tool widely available
- It has the ability to detect breast cancers before they can be felt
- Only 1 or 2 mammograms out of every 1,000 lead to a diagnosis of cancer
- Many factors and conditions can lead to positive mammograms; further testing is required to determine IF cancer is present
- Current recommendations call for yearly mammograms for women age 40 and over
Sources For More Information on Breast Cancer
Information on this page has been taken from American Cancer Society, Susan G. Kommen Breast Cancer Foundation, and National Cancer Institute resources.
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