Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Beyond the Pink! From Awareness to Action

 It’s that time of year when professional athletes start wearing pink shoes, musicians bust out their pink guitars and many of the food labels in the grocery stores turn pink. Pretty soon, you’ll notice that even everyday gadgets like water bottles, staplers and hair dryers will turn pink in support of breast cancer! As fun as this time of year is, it’s also important to remember what is at the root of it all. So while you wear your pink ribbons all month long, be sure to also educate yourself about what steps you can take to reduce your risk!

 Clinical Breast Exam

Women in their 20’s and 30’s should have a health professional do a clinical breast exam (CBE) every three years. Starting at age 40, women should have a CBE by a nurse or doctor yearly. This allows for a woman to be instructed about the benefits and limitations of breast exams along with what factors in her history may increase her risk for getting breast cancer.

Mammogram

The American Cancer Society encourages women to make healthy lifestyle choices such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, and reducing alcohol consumption to reduce their risk of breast cancer. Even women who have no symptoms  and no known risks  should have regular mammograms to help detect potential breast cancer.

 Breast Self-Exam

Women should start performing breast self-exams (BSE) as early as in their 20's. This helps women be familiar with how their breasts look and feel so they can alert their healthcare provider if there are any changes.