Think Pink!
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we would like to share some facts about breast cancer and some tips to help prevent it!
2013 Statistics from the American Cancer Society:
- Roughly 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.
- A woman’s risk for developing breast cancer doubles if their mother, sister, or daughter has been diagnosed with it.
- Around 232,000 new cases of breast cancer in women will be diagnosed
- Approximately 64,000 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed
- CIS is a non-invasive and earliest form of breast cancer
- 5%-10% of all breast cancer cases are related to a genetic mutation
- Close to 40,000 women will die from breast cancer.
- There are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. at this time.
- When detected early and confined to the breast, the 5- year survival rate is 98%!
Tips for Prevention:
- Limit your alcohol consumption. The more you drink, the greater your risk is for developing breast cancer.
- Experts recommend no more than 1 drink/day
- Exercise regularly, the more physically fit you are, the less likely you are to develop breast cancer.
- The recommended activity is 150 minutes/week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity.
- Avoid hormone replacement therapy
- If you must take these to manage menopausal symptoms, try to avoid ones that contain progesterone and use for no more than 3 years.
- If you are a mother or are planning to become one; breast feeding for as long as possible has been proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
- Early detection is the key to fighting breast cancer.
- It is recommended that woman over 40 should have a mammogram each year.
- Be sure to regularly check for any abnormal lumps/ changes by performing a self-breast exam.
“Supporting the fighters, admiring the survivors, honoring the taken, and never, ever giving up hope!”