When it comes to supporting breast-cancer research, even professional football players are getting in on the act. If you’re a fan, no doubt you’ve seen all the pink out there on the field.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald), whose mother, Carol, passed away from the disease in 2003, is going the extra mile for the cause: He has promised to donate $1,000 per catch, $10,000 per touchdown and 10 cents for every new Twitter follower he gets in October. Last year, he donated $33,000.
Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams’ mother, Sandra, is a breast cancer survivor, but he lost four aunts to breast cancer. Williams was instrumental in getting the NFL on board with the pink awareness campaign. “I had a lady stop me and said just because of what I saw during the game, meaning the color, (she) was going to get examined,” he told The Herald in South Carolina.
We’d like not to present you with a bunch of scary statistics, but statistics paint a picture of where we are right now, and help us pave the way toward a cancer-free future.
Fear of breast cancer is not your friend. If you’re afraid of developing cancer, your best defense is (at the risk of using a cliché) a good offense. In other words, understand the risks and know your options.
And by all means, get professional medical advice regarding breast cancer or any health-related condition. This article (or any article) is not meant to be a replacement for your doctor’s recommendations.
1 Know Your Risk
Having risk factors doesn’t mean you’ll get breast cancer, but it can help you determine a course of action. Breast cancer risks include:
• Age: The risk increases after about age 50, or menopause, and continues to rise through age 70. Other age-related risks include:
• Early onset of puberty, before age 12.
• Late menopause, after age 55.
• Late first full-term pregnancy, after age 30, or no full-term pregnancies.
• Genetics: Experts estimate that about 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancers stem from genetic mutations:
• If you have a family history of breast cancer, especially in a mother, sister, daughter, father or brother (yes, men can get it, too), your risk is about 1.8 times higher than those who don’t. The risk increases with the number of first-degree relatives diagnosed; with three or more relatives, your risk is four times higher than the general population.
• Personal history of breast cancer or certain other cancers.
• Obesity, especially after menopause.
• Recent hormone replacement therapy or recent oral contraceptive use.
2 Know the Warning Signs
Not every symptom is a sure sign of breast cancer; some symptoms can happen with other conditions including completely benign cysts. If you have signs that worry you, see your doctor as soon as possible.
• A new lump in the breast or underarm
• Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
• Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
• Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
• Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
• Any change in the size or shape of the breast
• Pain in any area of the breast
3 Screen and Prevent
Get to know your breasts and what’s normal for you and your cycle. Dr. Susan Love, author of “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book,” advises: “Just be comfortable and be aware of your body, and if you feel something that feels abnormal, get it checked out. … If there’s something that’s funny, and if the doctor doesn’t want to pursue it, then get another doctor.”
• Get screened regularly. Talk with your doctor about the best types of screening given your risk factors. Early cancers respond much better to treatment than those diagnosed late.
• Control your weight and exercise. Learn how to eat healthy and stay active.
• Know your family history. See No. 1.
• If you are post-menopausal, find out the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy.
• Limit your alcohol intake.
4 Find Out More
The amount of good information on the Internet is amazing. Here are a few of the expert resources used in this article, which represents only a small amount of the data available to you.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov) have numerous pages dedicated to breast cancer, accessible through a quick search.
• Breastcancer.org features comprehensive, easily digested information on everything from risk to managing your medical records.
• The American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org) provides a comprehensive “Breast Cancer Overview” document on its site, and, just for data wonks, has released a new study, “Breast Cancer Facts & Figures, 2011-2012,” available as a PDF from the website.
• Mississippi State Department of Health (http://www.msdh.ms.gov) provides information specifically for state residents and health-care providers. Find out the department’s programs for low-income women here, including Medicaid and Medicare assistance.
• Kaiser State Health Facts (http://www.statehealthfacts.org) provides some of the most recent statistics and demographics on breast cancer and a host of other health issues, conveniently sorted by state.
• Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation (http://www.dslrf.org). Love is a physician and researcher in breast health and issues of aging women. Health-care providers consider “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book” (Da Capo Press; 5th edition, 2010, $22) the bible of breast-health books.