Advanced Hair Solutions Recognizes National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

by heraldpost

Advanced Hair Solutions Recognizes National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Auburn Hills, Michigan – October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.

This is exciting progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

Women age 65 and older are less likely to get mammograms than younger women, even though breast cancer risk increases with age.
Hispanic women have fewer mammograms than Caucasian women and African American women.
Women below poverty level are less likely than women at higher incomes to have had a mammogram within the past two years.
Mammography use has increased for all groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives.

“If all women age 40 and older took advantage of early detection methods – mammography plus clinical breast exam – breast cancer death rates would drop much further, up to 30 percent,” says a spokesperson from NBCAM.  

“The key to mammography screening is that it be done routinely – once is not enough.”

For more information about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please visit www.nbcam.org. 

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Fifteen national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies comprise the Board of Sponsors, who work together to ensure that the NBCAM message is heard by thousands of women and their families.

My name is Allyson, I'm 39 years old, a mother of 2 daughters and I have breast cancer. I hope that by telling my story other women will get yearly mammograms in order to diagnose cancer at it's earliest stages. I had my first mammogram at 35 because my Mom is a breast cancer survivor. I forgot about scheduling yearly exams until I was 39. Four months ago, I had a routine physical that included a mammogram at my request. I remember that it was painful, but figured I wouldn't have to worry about it for another year. However, a few days later, I was told the radiologist wanted to do a repeat mammogram. I figured it was still routine and went to have it done. The doctor talked to me afterward and said he saw some calcification on my left breast and that I could either wait 6 months to see if it changed or get a biopsy immediately. I asked him what he would tell his wife or daughter to do. He said he'd tell them to get a biopsy ASAP. I didn't understand the significance of calcification and didn't do any research at that time because I wanted to pretend that this was still normal and that my breast had just changed due to age. About 2 weeks later, I was informed that I have ductal cell carcinoma in situ, a type of "pre-cancer" that is contained in one of my milk ducts and I was terrified. I immediately started reading everything about my diagnosis and met with a breast surgeon who explained that I would most likely have a lumpectomy and …

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