By Staff
Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives – even young and seemingly invincible women such as actress Christina Applegate.
Applegate's diagnosis at 36 once again underscores the importance of taking good care of your breasts, and most importantly, receiving regular screenings.
"The earlier breast cancer is found through screening, the better the chances of survival," said Dr. Marcia Liepman, board-certified oncologist at the West Michigan Cancer Center and a member of Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital's medical staff.
"Women in their 40s and older should have a mammogram every one to two years. Those who are younger than 40, but have higher risk factors for breast cancer, should talk to their health care provider about having mammograms sooner or more frequently."
Currently, mammograms (x-ray pictures of the breast) are the best tool doctors have to detect breast cancer early.
This test will often show a breast lump before it's felt or microcalcifications (a cluster of tiny calcium specks).
Lumps or specks detected can form as a result of cancer, precancerous cells or other breast conditions.
Combined with mammograms, women are advised to have an annual clinical breast exam.
During this brief examination, your health care provider will manually check your entire breast, underarm and collarbone area.
"It's also valuable to perform monthly breast self-exams," Dr. Liepman added, "remembering that changes can occur due to aging, your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause or taking birth control pills or other hormones. While it's normal for breasts to feel a little lumpy and uneven, you should contact your doctor if you notice any significant changes."
The risks
No one knows why some women get breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors to consider.
Risks you can't change include:
Age – a woman's chances of getting breast cancer rise as she ages. In fact, a woman never gets too old to develop breast cancer.
Genes – two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, greatly increase a woman's risk. Women who have family members who have had breast or ovarian cancer may wish to receive genetic testing.
Personal factors – beginning menstruation before the age of 12 or going through menopause after age 55.
According to the National Cancer Institute, other risk factors include being overweight, cigarette smoking, using hormone replacement therapy, taking birth control pills, drinking too much alcohol, not having children or having your first child after the age of 35 or having dense breasts.
The signs
Early breast cancer typically does not cause pain or other symptoms.
However, some common signs of breast cancer include:
Changes in how the breast or nipple feels, such as nipple tenderness, or a lump or thickening in/near the breast or in the underarm area.
Changes in how the breast or nipple looks, such as a change in the size or shape of the breast; a nipple turned inward into the breast; or the skin of the breast, areola or nipple having ridges or pitting similar to the skin of an orange, or appearing scaly, red or swollen.
Nipple discharge (fluid).
Power of prevention
Along with screening, you can also empower yourself and lower your breast cancer risks by:
Eating right – Make healthy food choices every day, including consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Staying active – If possible, try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily on all, or most, days of the week.
Understanding your family tree – If you have a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer, talk to your health care provider about your risks and how you can lower those risks.
Drinking alcohol in moderation (one drink daily for women). One drink is a 12-ounce beer, four-ounce glass of wine or 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof spirits.
Today, the death rate from breast cancer is falling and continues to fall, thanks to more women receiving mammograms and following the above prevention guidelines.