Founded in 1985, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a time to remember loved ones lost to breast cancer, educate new generations about this hideous disease, and remind ourselves to schedule regular breast exams.
Beyond the pink ribbons, walks, and fundraising events aimed at promoting awareness and supporting research, we believe it’s important to understand why this awareness is so crucial.
Our Nile Women’s Health Care team wants all our patients throughout Roswell and Johns Creek, Georgia, to know the facts about breast cancer and how to prevent it — or at least catch it early. Here’s what you need to know.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States and globally, affecting millions each year. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 American women (about 13%) will develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetime. In 2024 alone, experts expect to diagnose an estimated 310,720 new cases in the US.
Breast cancer spreads easily to other parts of your body, and the longer it goes undetected, the harder it is to treat. However, the survival rate is much higher when detected early. The five-year relative survival rate for localized breast cancer is 99%, emphasizing the importance of early detection.
Self-exams help you get to know your breasts so you can spot any changes more easily. Here’s how to perform a self-exam:
Stand in front of a mirror with your arms down and then raised and look at your breasts, checking for any changes in size, shape, or color.
While lying down, reach over with your right hand to feel your left breast and vice versa. Keep your fingers flat and together and move them in a circular pattern to cover your whole breast.
Many women find it easiest to feel their breasts when their skin is wet and slippery, so try this step in the shower, using the same hand movements you use when lying down.
We perform clinical breast exams here at Nile Women’s Health Care, an essential part of your regular medical check-ups. Through these exams, we can detect lumps or other changes you might miss during self-exams. Here’s what to expect:
First, we look at your breasts while you’re sitting up, and then we check for physical abnormalities, such as changes in size, shape, and skin texture.
Next, you lie down, and we use our hands to examine your breasts and the surrounding area, including your armpits.
After the examination, we discuss our findings and recommend further tests, if necessary, such as a mammogram.
Mammograms are X-ray images of your breasts. They can detect tumors too small to feel and identify abnormalities before they become more severe.
Screening mammograms are routine checks for women who have no symptoms of breast cancer.
Diagnostic mammograms are more detailed and help us investigate symptoms like lumps, pain, or nipple discharge.
During a mammogram, we compress your breast between two acrylic plates to spread the inner tissue apart. It’s mildly uncomfortable, but each “squeeze” only lasts a few seconds, and the process is complete in about 20 minutes.
Sometimes, we use ultrasound with mammograms to help distinguish between solid masses and fluid-filled cysts.
Regular breast exams offer numerous benefits.
October is the ideal time to schedule your breast exam and encourage other women in your life to do the same.
Call Nile Women’s Health Care to get on the books and take control of your breast health.
