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Saving Lives Through Breast Cancer Awareness

Autor admin | 04.10.2009 | Category Uncategorized

The insidiousness of breast cancer is without parallel – affecting over a million people a year worldwide and claiming the lives of women at a rate second only to lung cancer. As women battle for their lives on a daily basis, a grassroots movement to educate the women of the world continues to surge.

Those who are affected by breast cancer know that recovery stems from early detection and proper treatment; and in order to detect symptoms and find effective treatment, women need to have access to up-to-date information; thus evolved the promotion of breast cancer awareness.

Breast cancer awareness encompasses the education and empowerment of women and men worldwide and encourages them to act as advocates for their own care; it includes a comprehensive plan for focusing on the whole person and the many ways in which breast cancer and prevention can be approached.

One of the first components of raising breast cancer awareness includes awareness of education, literacy, and research. There is so much research being done on a daily basis to further the cause of treatment and to one day find a permanent cure. In order for patients and families to feel connected to the process, they must be kept informed as to what advancements have been made.

The breast cancer awareness campaign works to make sufferers and families aware of the places in which to find comprehensive information. In today’s age of technology, most people find their information via the Internet; there are a host of reputable and valuable websites that provide a wealth of continually updated information.

Prevention is a large part of awareness and part of the work of the campaign is to make people aware of the ways in which they can prevent breast cancer. This includes making people aware of up-to-date information regarding diet and exercise, as well as the effects of other lifestyle and environmental stressors on the possibility of getting this cancer.

Most importantly, awareness focuses on the importance of screening for early detection so that treatment options are immediately available to increase the chance of survival and ongoing health. Doctors recommend screenings from 35 years of age and up; more than 50% of diagnosed cases of breast cancer are found in women over the age of fifty. Such screenings include routine gynecological examinations, mammograms, breast ultrasound and, most importantly, breast self-examination. Spreading the message of screenings is especially important in low-income areas where women tend to avoid medical care because of the cost.

Of course, breast cancer awareness also includes knowing where to turn for treatment and what that treatment may entail. In the spirit of providing people with accurate and up-to-date information, many of the websites and other informational centers that feature educational resources, will also include comprehensive information regarding treatment options. This is vitally important for people struggling to make choices regarding their health.

But one of the most important aspects of awareness is reminding the people that are engrossed in the fight that they are a part of a larger community where they can find support and camaraderie.

Breast cancer awareness saves people’s lives. It can be the bridge from people – to information. And for those who are faced with a frightening diagnosis and unsure of where to turn, the information imparted through the awareness campaign can be a beacon of hope.

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Does Breast Cancer Awareness Saves Lives?

Autor admin | 04.10.2009 | Category Uncategorized

As Sidney Poiter said on the Oprah Winfrey show in March 2007, “I was left with the responsibility to effectuate my own survival.” As adults, we’re all accountable for our own survival. Yet as decent human beings, we need to ensure each other’s survival by learning what is not always easily discovered, but necessary to know. This is especially true when one is newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

By raising our awareness, we can literally keep death at bay by spreading knowledge, wisdom and courage. It takes either personal experience, or a special dedication to a vision of a better future for girls and women, in order to make a deep, ongoing commitment to breast cancer awareness.

It is so important to get an early diagnosis. In 2006, the American Cancer Society estimated that there would be 212,920 new cases, and of these, 40,970 women would die. Each year, around 1,600 men will be diagnosed and 400 die.

About 30% of patients are women under 40. Women with a family history or other concerns might need to begin screening tests earlier than the recommended annual exam at age 40. Clinical breast exams need to be done at least every 3 years starting at age 20, and every year after 40.

Breast cancer is unique in that it is a disease where

there is no known prevention, like there often is with other cancers. We must rely on measures that improve the chances of early detection.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer among women in the United States, behind lung cancer. The five-year survival rate is 90%. For breast cancer detected early, having not spread to the lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 98%. Awareness could help save tens of thousands of lives each year by helping women get diagnosed earlier through regular screening.

The death rate dropped significantly from 1989 to 2003, a decline mostly due to the increasing role of mammography in detecting early-stage tumors, as well as improvements in therapy.

New diagnostic methods are coming soon. According to Science Daily, in the future, dentists may be able to administer a simple, non-invasive saliva test for at regular dental checkups. Though not yet approved by the FDA, if this method of diagnosis does receive approval, dentists and physicians could collaborate to diagnose breast cancer earlier.

You raise your own awareness when you:

* Talk with doctors, nurses, advocates, and survivors.

* Read books and articles and visit websites.

* Participate in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month events in October, as well as year-round awareness events such as those sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

* Do monthly self-exams. Though not all lumps are detectable by touch, 70% is found through monthly breast self-exams.

* Have regular mammograms starting at age 40.

You or someone you know may be the one woman in eight who will develop breast cancer during her lifetime. Develop your awareness and give yourself and someone else the gift of life!


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