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You can always tell when October is at the doorstep. The leaves begin to change to yellow, red and orange, or have long fallen, depending on your physical location. Pumpkins, spiders and bats make an appearance at every retail outlet, and everything else turns pink.
In case you don’t already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. It’s a 31-day celebration of how far we have come in saving lives; 31 days to educate us all about prevention, about what breast cancer is, and is not. It is but one brief month to remind the women in your life that early detection does save lives. And, it’s a time to remember those who fought their battle with courage to whatever end.
Feeling Pink? Here are five little things you can do to have a big impact on breast cancer.
- Know Your Breasts. Don’t be shy, conduct self breast exams. You may not understand everything there is to know about biology, but you do know what is familiar and what isn’t. If you feel a mass or lump, or see a change in your breasts, visit your doctor immediately. While most breast changes are not cancer, it is extremely important to diagnose breast cancer early. Remember, when breast cancer is found early, the 5-year survival rate is 98 percent.
- Grin and Bare it. Having regular breast check-ups means you are partnering with your health care providers to stay healthy. Clinical check- ups should start at age 20 and be conducted every three years. If you have a strong family history of breast cancer, you may need to have clinical check-ups more often. At age 40, screening mammograms should start and be done regularly every two years for women at average risk of breast cancer, and more often if your risk is higher. Consult your health care provider if you have questions about how often these tests should be done, and what’s right for you.
- Put On Those Dancing Shoes. Regular exercise (four or more hours a week) has a positive effect on breast cancer risk for most women. Exercising decreases hormone levels and helps lower your risk (by 44 percent in some studies). Exercising is thought to have the greatest effect in premenopausal women of normal or low weight. However, everyone, regardless of your stage in life, can realize benefits. A Canadian study showed being physically active before a breast cancer diagnosis can improve survival after breast cancer. If you are a breast cancer survivor, there’s good news here for you too. The same study found the risk of recurrence, progression or new primary breast cancer was reduced by 34 percent among physically active women. Contrastingly, being overweight or obese greatly increases your risk for breast cancer and other serious illnesses.
- Eat in Living Color. Whenever possible, eat fresh, not processed foods. Research has shown diets rich in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and low in animal based fats and processed sugar are beneficial in cutting your breast cancer risk. Health experts suggest that everyone eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day (French fries not included.)
- Get Charitable. We’ve come a long way, baby… in saving lives. Compared to the 1970s, today’s breast cancer patients are more likely to be called cancer survivors and live long healthy lives. We have done this through research, but we aren’t finished yet. There are still breast cancer battles to be won and discovery is making incredible progress. For example, the first vaccine to prevent breast cancer has shown overwhelming favorable results in animal models and could be part of the future arsenal in the fight against cancer. Whether you give directly to cancer research, buy products that support breast cancer, or donate to help women in need get treatment or preventative care, you are helping move us forward to a world where your daughter—or son—won’t have to say, “Today, I learned I have breast cancer.”
Lynette Summerill is an award-winning writer who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition to writing about cancer-related issues, she writes a blog, Nonsmoking Nation, which follows global tobacco news and events.
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