As women, we live with the looming threat of the possibility of Breast Cancer. This month, in particular, is designated as the pink month. It is the perfect time to get all the need-to-know risk factors for Breast Cancer prevention.
All women over 40 should get mammograms every year. Theย Affordable Care Act/Obamacare made provisions for this annual exam to provide benefits. Most commercial or Medicare Part D medical insurance has no cost sharing. So, ladies, there’s no excuse for not getting a yearly mammogram.
It’s worth noting that under the ACA, most private health insurers must provide coverage for women’s health preventive care. Not just mammograms but screenings for cervical cancer and prenatal care. When uninsured, the PA Breast Cancer Coalition includes a range for women without medical insurance in Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately, all women will know of someone close to her with a breast cancer diagnosis. For me, my mother and my niece. To understand my cancer risk, I completed the genetic testing panels to learn of my low risk.
Here’s the need to know about Breast Cancer Prevention Risk Reduction:
Breast Cancer Prevention Screening:
๐ย The annual mammogram is the gold standard for breast cancer prevention
๐ย Monthly Breast Self Exam
๐ฅผย Yearly clinical breast exam made by a health professional
The Modifiable Breast Cancer Risks You Can Control:
Lifestyle/Health Behaviors:
๐ฉ ๐ซย Unhealthy Diet
๐ ๐ฅย Eat lots of fruits and veggies
๐๐ฝโโ๏ธ Healthy weight, especially after Menopause
๐ญย Not Smoking
๐ย Physical Activity (three to four times per week)
๐ทย Limit or avoid alcohol
๐ย Avoid post-menopausal hormones (HRT)
Non-Modifiable Risk Factors for Breast Cancer You Can Not Control:
๐ธย Being female
๐ย Age (The risk for breast cancer increases with age)
๐ธย Race/Ethnicity (White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African American women)
๐ย Family History (Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer)
๐ธย Personal history of breast cancer
๐ย Starting your period before age 12
๐ธย Starting Menopause after age 55
๐ย Having children after the age of 35 or never having children
๐ธย Breast density
๐ย Not breastfeeding
๐ธย Radiation treatment to the chest area for another cancer
๐ย Inherited genetic mutations (BRCA1/BRCA2)
Having one or more risks doesn’t mean you’ll get breast cancer. Also, some women have breast cancer even when they don’t have any of these risks.
Today, I honor and pray for Breast Cancer survivors: those currently battling the disease and the many lives lost yearly. The survival rates for early detection are promising, so schedule your annual mammogram today if you’ve not already done so.
