Logan County Department of Public
Health recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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[October 12, 2022]
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and
the Logan County Department of Public Health (LCDPH) encourages all
women to take proper steps to take control of their health.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), one
out of every eight American women will develop breast cancer during
her lifetime and more than 40,000 women in the United States will
die this year from the disease. In Illinois alone, over 2,000 women
will die each year of breast cancer.
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All women are at risk, regardless of age, race,
ethnicity, or sexual orientation. More African-American women die
from breast cancer than any other race and minority women tend to be
diagnosed at a more advanced stage. There is no way to prevent
breast cancer; however, early detection of breast cancer is the key
to saving lives.
The five-year survival rate is 96% for women who
are detected and treated at an early stage.
Sadly, only about 9% of breast cancers in Illinois
are detected at the earliest and most curable stage. The Illinois
Department of Public Health states that early detection depends on
women following these guidelines:
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Starting at age 20,
women should practice monthly breast self-examinations.
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At least once a year,
woman should have a clinical breast examination done by a health
professional.
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Every year, women 40
years of age and older should have a screening mammogram.
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If a breast change
occurs such as development of a lump or swelling, skin
irritation or dimpling, pain or changes to the nipple, redness
or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin, or discharge other
than breast milk, a health care provider should be contacted as
soon as possible.
Most of the time, breast changes are not cancer,
but an experienced health care professional can examine the breast
and determine whether additional tests are needed to rule out
cancer.
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The main risk factor for developing breast cancer is
simply being a woman. Women who menstruate at an early age, had
their first child late in life or had no children, or have
experienced menopause at a late age seem to have an increased risk
of developing breast cancer. The risk of developing breast cancer
rises as a woman ages. Women, age 65 and older, are twice as likely
to develop breast cancer than women between the ages of 40 and 64.
Although the risk of developing breast cancer is greater if a
woman’s mother, grandmother, or sister has had breast cancer, most
women who are diagnosed have no family history. In fact, 80% of
women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
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All women are at risk of developing breast cancer and early
detection is the key. Mammography, clinical breast examinations and
breast self-examinations offer the best opportunity for breast
cancer to be detected at an early stage for life-saving treatment to
be more effective. LCDPH urges women to play it safe by following
the precautionary measures to reduce breast cancer. For more
information, contact LCDPH at 217-735-2317 and, for information
regarding services, visit their website at
WWW.LCDPH.ORG.
[Don Cavi, MS, LEHP
Public Health Administrator
Logan County Department of Public Health]
Information Source: IDPH |