Breast Cancer Awareness month is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer. In our area a walk will take place on Sunday, October 20 at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, that brings together survivors, caregivers, men and women who are passionate about saving lives from breast cancer.

According to the Center for disease Control, each year in the United States, about 245,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and about 2,200 in men. About 41,000 women and 460 men in the U.S. die each year from breast cancer. Over the last decade, the rate of getting breast cancer has not changed for women overall, but the rate has increased for black women and Asian and Pacific Islander women. Black women have a higher rate of death from breast cancer than white women. Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States. Deaths from breast cancer have declined over time, but remain the second leading cause of cancer death among women overall and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. Many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence your breast cancer risk. You can’t change some factors, such as getting older or your family history, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by taking care of your health in the following ways:

• Maintain a healthy weight.

• Exercise

• Don’t drink alcohol or limit use.

• If you are taking, or have been told to take hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives (birth control pills), ask your doctor about the risks and find out if it is right for you.

• Breastfeed if possible.

• If you have a family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, discuss options to lower your risk.

Additionally the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which is an organization made up of doctors and disease experts, recommends that women who are 50 to 74 years old and are at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every two years. Women who are 40 to 49 years old should talk to their doctor or other health care professionals about when to start and how often to get a mammogram. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast and is the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. A breast MRI uses magnets and radio waves to take pictures of the breast and is used along with mammograms to screen women who are at high risk for getting breast cancer. Because breast MRIs may appear abnormal even when there is no cancer, they are not used for women at average risk. A clinical breast exam is an examination by a doctor or nurse, who uses his or her hands to feel for lumps or other changes. It’s also important to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel. This can help you notice symptoms such as lumps, pain, or changes in size that may be of concern. These could include changes found during a breast self-exam. You should report any changes that you notice to your doctor or health care provide. Doctors often use additional tests to find or diagnose breast cancer and may refer a patient to a specialist or surgeon who can better determine and make a diagnosis. Additional diagnostic tools are:

• Breast ultrasound. A machine that uses sound waves to make detailed pictures, called sonograms, of areas inside the breast.

• Diagnostic mammogram. If you have a problem in your breast, such as lumps, or if an area of the breast looks abnormal on a screening mammogram, doctors may have you get a diagnostic mammogram. This is a more detailed X-ray of the breast.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A kind of body scan that uses a magnet linked to a computer. The MRI scan will make detailed pictures of areas inside the breast.

• Biopsy. This is a test that removes tissue or fluid from the breast to be looked at under a microscope. There are different kinds of biopsies (for example, fine-needle aspiration, core biopsy, or open biopsy).

If breast cancer is diagnosed, other tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the body. This process is called staging. Whether the cancer is only in the breast, is found in lymph nodes under your arm, or has spread outside the breast determines your stage of breast cancer. The type and stage of breast cancer tells doctors what kind of treatment you need.

While Breast Cancer Awareness month is a yearly campaign that intends to educate people about the importance of early screening, testing and more it is also vitally important to keep the spotlight on Breast Cancer all year round. The pink ribbons are a testimony to the people who have survived, who are battling breast cancer and those who lost the fight. It’s also a reminder of how many people we know and care about, family, friends, co-workers who are fighting this disease. While the month of October shines a light on awareness, it’s important to continue to raise awareness, raise funds, and share information for those who need it and continue in the important research so that one day we can eliminate this deadly disease.