 |
| Photo Credit: Scott Meis Photography, flickr.com. |
I dedicate this article to my mother Constance Saunders who died in 1997 at 58 years old.
She was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at 56 years old and battled with Breast Cancer for two years. R.I.P. MOM!
Breast Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. Usually Breast Cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules which are in the milk producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. These cancer cells invade healthy cells and can make their way into the underarm lymph nodes. If these cancer cells get into the lymph nodes they then have a pathway into other parts of the body.
Monthly self breast examinations are important. Check for lumps, masses, abnormal dimpling of the nipples, swelling of the breast, nipple discharge other than milk, nipple pain, redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin, or skin irritation. These signs DO NOT have to be breast cancer. It could possibly be infection or irritation of the breast. Check with your doctor if you have any of these signs. Lumps will NOT always be palpable.
Mammogram is an x-ray of the breast used to help diagnose healthy and unhealthy breast conditions, some which may or may not be cancerous. Breast Cancer IS NOT always identified by self examination, sometimes it may show up in an xray.
About 1 in every 8 women in the US (12%) will develop invasive Breast Cancer over the course of her lifetime. Breast Cancer affects MEN and WOMEN. Breast Cancer is NEVER anyone's fault. Breast Cancer IS NOT a death sentence.
Take precautions to lower your risk of Breast Cancer!
(Stay tuned next week for more info. on breast cancer.)
No comments:
Post a Comment