October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: it’s a time to raise awareness around a disease that has impacted so many millions of Americans. We want to use this opportunity to educate advocates on risk factors and stress the importance of preventative care.
Risk Factors:
- Gender: One in every eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime- this makes screening, self-exams, and preventative care critical for every woman.
- Men can also get breast cancer, making up about 1% of breast cancer diagnoses per year.
- Age: The average age of U.S. women diagnosed with breast cancer is 62 years old. It’s recommended that women over the age of 40 get screened regularly with yearly mammograms.
- Genetics: There are several gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer significantly, including the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations.
- If your family history includes breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer, you could be at high risk for BRCA mutations and might consider getting tested.
- Lifestyle: Lifestyle risk factors for developing breast cancer include alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, and obesity. There is also some evidence that the use of hormones for birth control and for menopause may be associated with a higher chance of developing breast cancer.
Access to quality healthcare and taking preventative measures are incredibly important in ensuring early detection and treatment. Your local hospital or hospital system is a resource for routine screenings and to provide treatment and support to those who receive diagnoses.
- When breast cancer is caught in its earliest stages, there is a 99% 5-year survival rate. The earlier it is caught, the more likely treatment will be successful in the long-run, thanks to advances in detection and treatment in recent years.
- The COVID-19 pandemic caused many people to delay their annual mammograms, thus decreasing the chances of catching breast cancer in its early stages.
This is why it is so important to talk to your healthcare providers about routine screening. Remind the people in your life to take care of themselves and prevent metastatic breast cancer by regularly screening.
Here are some resources for further education about breast cancer and how you can support the cause this October: