October is widely known for being Breast Cancer Awareness month, where many fund raisers and awareness events are scheduled to educate both women and men on this disease.  A leading organization that battles the stigma and is an advocate for education on prevention and care is the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  Their website nationalbreastcancer.org is a site full of information on prevention, care and general education on breast cancer.
On their official website, they report that over 2.8 million breast cancer survivors are alive in the United States today.  Every year over 246,660 women and 2,600 men will be diagnosed with this disease and out of those around 40,000 women and 440 men will die.  Though these numbers seem high, it has actually been decreasing since 1990, but still continues to be the second highest cause of death in women.
No one really knows what exactly is causing anyone to get breast cancer; however, they have narrowed different risk factors that could increase the chance of being diagnosed.  The NBCF website lists genetic factors such as gender, age, race, family history, personal health history, menstrual and reproductive history and even how dense the breast tissue is.  Then there are environmental and lifestyle factors like poor diet and exercise, being overweight and obese, drinking alcohol and individuals undergoing combined hormone replacement therapy.  However, even with these potential risk factors, only approximately 60 to 70 percent of people diagnosed fit any of the risk factors.
The NBCF’s website has an abundance of information on early detection.  The earlier someone can notice the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and see a doctor, the better the chances of survival.  For those who are not aware of signs of breast cancer, the following are some symptoms in women:  nipple tenderness, a lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm area, change in skin texture or enlargement of pores, dimpling, unexplained swelling or shrinkage, skin becomes scaly, red or swollen, unexplained size changes and nipple discharge that is clear or bloody.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation has been the forefront of this fight since 1991 when it was founded by Janelle Hail.  This woman was not only a leader in this fight, but also a breast cancer survivor herself.  She created her foundation with the mission to “…help women now by providing help and inspiring hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education and support services.”  These services that they offer are located in all 50 states and even some will fit into the palm of someone’s hand.
The NBCF offers two programs that help women qualify for free mammograms called the National Mammogram Program.  Then for women who don’t qualify they offer their service to make going through the healthcare system a lot easier during their difficult times.  For recently diagnosed women, understanding the disease can be difficult, so they also offer an app called ‘Beyond the Shock’ that is designed to help them learn more about breast cancer through videos, to hear the stories of survivors and even ask any questions they need about it.
As they lead women and men to understand breast cancer, they also have a video to teach the proper technique to check for lumps and unusual signs.  You can get breast cancer at any age and it is recommended to do self-checks once a month. Go to nationalbreastcancer.org and view the video to learn how to properly check for signs of breast cancer.
The small amount of time it takes to check for breast cancer is well worth it.  Early detection means better chances of survival.  If there is someone in your family that has had breast cancer, it means that you possibly could have a higher risk and it would be well worth it to check yourself or talk with your doctor about your risk.  If you need more details on breast cancer or on early detection, check out the NBCF website or talk with your doctor.  Invest in your health today.