OCTOBER: BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, which is an annual campaign to increase the awareness of this disease.

1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

WHAT IS BREAST CANCER? Breast cancer is a group of cancer cells (malignant tumor) that starts in the cell of the breast. Cancer grows when cell's DNA is damaged. "HOW" and "WHY" is a cell's DNA gets damaged is still unknown.

All people, whether male or female, are born with some breast cells and tissue that have the possibility to develop into cancer. However, breast cancer in men is rare, with only about 2,190 diagnosed each year.

The sooner breast cancer gets diagnosed, the better your odds of getting a successful treatment for it. Now, how do we "self-exams"?
It is better to wait 3-5 days after your period ends before you self-exam. That's because hormonal changes before your period can cause a temporary thickening in your breast that goes away after your period. First look for dimpling or changes in shape or symmetry of your breasts. It might be best to do that by looking in a mirror. The rest of the self-exam is easiest to do in the shower, using soap to smooth your skin. Use light pressure to check for lumps near the surface, and firm pressure to explore deeper tissue. Any time you find a new or unusual lump in your breast, have your doctor check it. Most lumps aren’t cancer.
Squeeze each nipple gently, if there's any discharge, see your doctor. Also, let her know if you notice a change in the position or shape of a nipple.
If you’re still unsure, your doctor can go over the self-exam with you. She should examine your breasts every year, too.

I wanted to be a part of this campaign because I know what it feels like to lose a loved one because of breast cancer.

For more information, please go to this link: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/