Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Unfortunately, the top risk factors are things that a woman can’t change, they include; getting older, your race, and family history of breast cancer. The good news is that there are 2.8 million breast cancer survivors alive in the United States today, with the amazing work of cancer researchers and the push for education in women around the world, that number is going up.
Using these prevention strategies may reduce your risk of breast cancer:
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Exercise regularly.
- Avoid exposure to carcinogens and radiation.
- Avoid drinking alcohol or limit intake to one drink a day.
- Women who are 50 to 74 years old should have a screening mammogram every two years.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid not only breast cancer but to avoid cancer as a whole
Most insurance companies cover mammograms without any out of pocket costs.
For more information on risk factors, screenings, and prevention tips you can visit http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/