It’s October, but the fight against breast cancer never stops

It’s October, but the fight against breast cancer never stops

Arkansas has one of the lowest rates of breast cancer incidences in the country. 113 out of every 100,000 Arkansans will be diagnosed. But the more frightening statistic is that Arkansas ranks as one of the highest when it comes to death rates due to breast cancer. Early detection is key in lowering the risk from dying.

As October is breast cancer awareness month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. Each year in the United States, more than 200,000 women get breast cancer and more than 40,000 women die from the disease.

Men also get breast cancer, but it is not very common. Less than 1% of breast cancers occur in men. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women. About 10 percent of all new cases of breast cancer in the United States are found in women younger than 45 years of age.

Getting mammograms regularly can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that if you are 50 to 74 years old, be sure to have a screening mammogram every two years. If you are 40 to 49 years old, talk to your doctor about when to start and how often to get a screening mammogram.

Many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence your breast cancer risk. You can’t change some factors, such as getting older or your family history, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by taking care of your health in the following ways—

• Keep a healthy weight.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/;

• Exercise regularly https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/ physical_activity/ (at least four hours a week);

• Research shows that lack of nighttime sleep can be a risk factor;

• Don’t drink alcohol, https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/womenshealth. htm or limit alcoholic drinks to no more than one per day;

• Avoid exposure to chemicals that can cause cancer http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/ToxOrganSystems .asp (carcinogens) and chemicals that interfere with the normal function of the body;

• Limit exposure to radiation https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/ionizing.htm from medical imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, and PET scans if not medically necessary;

• If you are taking, or have been told to take, hormone replacement therapy https://www.cancer.gov/aboutcancer/ causes-prevention/risk/hormones/mht-fact-sheet or oral contraceptives https://www.cancer.gov/aboutcancer/ causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives- fact-sheet (birth control pills), ask your doctor about the risks and find out if it is right for you;

• Breastfeed https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/ any children you may have, if possible.

For more on information on research and prevention, visit www.nationalbreastcancer.org.

From State Representative Deborah Ferguson