Breast Cancer Awareness and Your Employees

Breast Cancer Awareness and W3 Employees.

Breast Cancer Awareness and W3 Employees.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is all about spreading one simple, powerful message: detection and prevention can save lives. Talk to your employees and post articles such as this and help to bring awareness.

Early breast cancer detection and prompt treatment is vital to a successful outcome.

The size of breast cancer and how far it has spread are two of the most important factors in determining the prognosis, or the chances for survival. Early screening is critical to catching the cancer when it’s more likely to be smaller and contained in the breast.

Early Screening Recommendations

The American Cancer Society recommends that women have:

  • Clinical breast exams every 3 years in their 20s and 30s, and every year after 40
  • Annual mammograms starting at age 40
  • Awareness of how their breasts normally look and feel, so they can report any changes to their doctor for further examination

Lower your risk of breast cancer with these five behaviors.

Reach and maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your breast cancer risk. Extra weight can increase you insulin levels which are linked to some cancers.

Exercise regularly. A study from Women’s Health Initiative showed an 18% reduction in risk with only 1.5 hours per week of brisk walking. The American Cancer Society recommends a weekly minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of high-intensity, or a mixture of both. Make sure to spread the workouts throughout the week for the most benefit.

Don’t sit too long. “Sitting is the new smoking.”  Studies have shown sitting for more than 60 minutes at a time without stretching or standing can cause irreversible health concerns. One of these concerns is the likelihood of developing cancer, especially in women. The risks increase if you sit more than 6 hours a day.

Limit alcohol. Studies have shown 2-5 alcoholic drinks a day have shown higher risks of developing cancer than those women who have one drink a day. Some research even shows as little as 3-6 glasses of wine a week can slightly increase your chance of developing breast cancer.

Avoid or limit hormone replacement therapy. Many postmenopausal women consider this therapy to ease their symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, etc. Research has revealed that women that take a blend of estrogen and progestin may be more likely to increase their chance of breast cancer. Discuss this with your physician and the options to control your menopausal symptoms and if you decide to use HRT to use a minimal dosage and for the shortest amount of time necessary.

 

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

breast cancer awareness
Breast cancer typically produces no symptoms when the tumor is small and most treatable. Therefore, it is very important for women to follow recommended screening guidelines for detecting breast cancer at an early stage, before symptoms develop. When breast cancer has grown to a size that can be felt, the most common physical sign is a painless lump.

There is a website, The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), that is  a collaboration of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to services.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer, the American Cancer Society has an abundance of great resources to assist you and your caregiver.   For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program has helped people (female and male) cope with their breast cancer experience. This experience begins when someone is faced with the possibility of a breast cancer diagnosis and continues throughout the entire period that breast cancer remains a personal concern. (http://www.cancer.org/treatment/supportprogramsservices/reach-to-recovery) Image courtesy of http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

Wear pink this month in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.