Breast Cancer Awareness Month is in full swing. There are fundraisers galore, online and in-person events of all kind, and everything on social media seems to have a pink hue. Perhaps you’ve donated your time or plan to attend a breast cancer awareness event – and that’s great! Taking tangible action to promote awareness is important – but make sure that you’re taking care of yourself as well.
Though you’ve probably seen the statistic – 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over the course of her life – it’s easy to think it won’t happen to you. But it’s important to take time out to ‘know your risk’ and assess the controllable breast cancer risk factors in your life. What better time to get started than during Breast Cancer Awareness Month?
Some things you can do to lower your risk of developing breast cancer include: eating a healthy diet full of fruits and veggies, exercising daily, quitting smoking and avoiding second hand smoke, and minimizing (or avoiding) alcohol consumption.
When caught early, breast cancer is treatable and beatable. In fact, there are over 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. However, when breast cancer spreads throughout the body, survival rates drop significantly.
Screening mammograms can catch breast cancer in its earliest stages when 5 year survival rates are as high as 90 percent. Mammography is a true lifesaver. According to the American College of Radiology (ACR), mammography has reduced breast cancer mortality by nearly 40 percent since 1990.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month put yourself first. Schedule your screening mammogram now because it could save your life.