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October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, second to skin cancer. In the United States alone, 1 out of every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point. When it comes to cancer-related death, breast cancer comes second only to lung cancer. Although more rare, there are approximately 2,300 men diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States every year.

There are some simple things that you can do to limit your chances of getting breast cancer:
•    Maintain a healthy diet.
•    Exercise regularly.
•    Quit smoking.

Discuss your family history of breast and ovarian cancer with your provider. Your provider may recommend:
•    A Clinical Breast Examination.
•    A Mammogram or x-ray of the breast (healthfinder.gov).
•    An Ultrasound Examination which creates a picture or sonogram of body tissues using high energy sound waves.
•    A MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses a magnet, radio waves and a computer to create a picture of breast tissue.
•    Taking Body Chemistry Studies which consist of bloodwork measuring substances released into the body by organs and tissues.
•    A biopsy of the breast consists of removing cells from a lump to be review under a microscope.

Early detection contributes to greater survival rates. To learn more online, go to healthfinder.gov and cancer.gov.

This is Sheila Harrell with Church Health.

If you have a question for Life Matters, send it to radio@wkno.org.