It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, making it an ideal time to remind you that early detection saves lives. Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since 1990, thanks to better screening, early detection, increased awareness, and improving treatments. More good news—if your cancer is detected early and located only in the breast, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99 percent.
Though breast cancer can’t be prevented, you can increase your chances of early detection. Here’s how, according to 3 Steps to Early Detection, a guide published by the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).
1. Breast Self Awareness
It’s time to get to know your breasts. Familiarizing yourself with how your breasts normally look and feel throughout the month will help you detect any changes that need a doctor’s attention. Be on the lookout for a lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm, changes in the size or shape of the breast, dimpling or puckering of breast skin, a nipple turned inward, nipple discharge, or scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast or nipple.
2. Well-Woman Exam
This annual exam includes a routine pelvic exam, pap smear and breast exam to check for any abnormalities. Your primary care physician or gynecologist can perform your Well-Woman Exam, and it is an ideal time to discuss any breast health concerns you might have.
3. Mammogram
NBCF recommends that women 40 and older receive an annual mammogram, which is an x-ray of the breast. Mammograms are vital because they can detect breast cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages before symptoms appear.
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