Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! It is an opportunity to remind women about early detection. To all of the ladies in my life ~ THINK PINK! Self exams, mammograms, whatever you can do! Due to my family history, I am "lucky" (double-edged sword...) in the sense that I am covered via insurance for mammograms at such a young age. I had a baseline mammogram at 25 and this past August started annual mammograms. This week I had a visit with a genetic counselor for a Health Risk Assessment to calculate my lifetime breast cancer risk and determine if I am eligible via insurance for MRI as well. With my Mum and both her sisters as survivors, DUH, I am. So for me I am able to alternate mammogram with MRI every six months, and then in between I will stagger my primary care and OB/GYN exams ~ so every THREE months I will have some kind of "professional" exam. But everyone out there who may not be eligible for testing at my age needs to do self exams! INFORMATION I'VE LEARNED RECENTLY...

*A doctor recently told me that WHAT MAY NOT SHOW UP ON A MAMMOGRAM FOR TWO YEARS, YOU CAN IDENTIFY VIA SELF EXAM IN TWO MONTHS!!!

*The BRCA 1/2 gene accounts for only 50% of breast cancer cases. There are a variety of other genes (many of which aren't even identified yet) and environmental factors that come into account. For some reason our environmental factors are such an important play that women in other countries have a lower risk but after moving to the US, their risk increases! (Also told this by a doctor recently).

*About 1/8 (I've heard 1/7 lately but the information at the Newton Wellesley Cancer Center this week said 1/8...) women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.

*There are over 2.6 MILLION breast cancer survivors in the US!!!!

*Each successive year, a woman's LIFETIME risk of developing breast cancer decreases; although with AGE our short-term risk increases.

*Hormones play a role in many cases of breast cancer, i.e. estrogen. So for someone like me with such a strong family history/higher risk, I should AVOID hormone/estrogen therapy to relieve menopause symptoms when the time comes. Hormone therapy after menopause increases your risk of getting breast cancer!! (Again, learned this week via Newton Wellesley Hospital Cancer Center).

We all need to live our lives and enjoy ourselves, and there is no way to prevent breast cancer. BUT we can take care of ourselves as best we can while still enjoying life (UM YA they tell you alcohol increases your risk but I'm not giving up my wine or beer any time soon?!) ~ and MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOLLOW EARLY DETECTION GUIDELINES!! Self exams, clinical breast exams, and mammograms AS SOON AS YOU ARE ABLE TO START BASED ON YOUR FAMILY HISTORY. READ MORE ABOUT EARLY DETECTION HERE. With early detection, the likelihood of successful treatment is at its greatest.

Ya, ya, I'm on my soapboax again...but if I can bring some awareness due to my own family history and personal circumstances, well, I'll try.

~E