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Breast Cancer Awareness
HEALTHY LIVING- Fall Edition 2008

Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that starts from cells of the breast. The disease occurs mostly in women, but men can get breast cancer too. There are many types of breast cancer, though some of them are very rare. We do not yet know exactly what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, and diet are linked to things a person does. Others, like a person's age, race, or family history, can't be changed. But having a risk factor, or even many, doesn’t mean that a person will get the disease.

The earlier breast cancer is found, the better the chances that treatment will work. The goal is to find cancers before they start to cause symptoms. There are many ways to detect breast cancer, such as mammograms, clinical breast exams and self breast exams. Women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health. While mammograms can miss some cancers, they are still a very good way to find breast cancer. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam as part of a regular exam by a health expert, preferably every 3 years. Women should also report any changes in how their breasts look or feel to their health professional right away. It is important to be proactive and that’s why the physicians at QLIMG urge their patients to come into the office to schedule an appointment for a clinical exam and a mammography annually.