The Earlier the Better

Most doctors feel that early detection tests for breast cancer save many thousands of lives each year, and that many more lives could be saved if even more women and their health care providers took advantage of these tests. Following the American Cancer Society’s guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer improves the chances that breast cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage and treated successfully.

Risk Factors

Having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. Most women who have one or more breast cancer risk factors never develop the disease, while many women with breast cancer have no apparent risk factors (other than being a woman and growing older). Even when a woman with risk factors develops breast cancer, it is hard to know just how much these factors may have contributed to her cancer.

Risk factors you cannot change: Simply being a woman is the main risk factor for developing breast cancer. Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. About 5% – 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary. Women whose close blood relatives have had breast cancer have a higher risk. A woman with cancer in one breast has a 3 to 4 fold increased risk of developing a new cancer. Denser breast tissue which has more glandular tissue and less fatty tissue. Women diagnosed with certain benign breast conditions may have an increased risk. Women who have had more menstrual cycles because they started menstruating at an early age and/or went through menopause at a later age have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. Women, who as children or young adults, had radiation therapy to the chest area as treatment for another cancer. Women who have been exposed to Diethylstilbestrol have a slightly increased risk.

Lifestyle-related factors: Women who have not had children or who had their first child after age 30. Women using oral contraceptives. Using estrogen before menopause. Consumption of alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk as does being overweight or obese.

Detection Mammogram:

The American Cancer Society recommends 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. Recent evidence has confirmed that mammograms offer substantial benefit for women in their 40s. Women can feel confident about the benefits associated with regular mammograms for finding cancer early. However, mammograms also have limitations. A mammogram can miss some cancers, and it may lead to follow up of findings that are not cancer.

Clinical breast exam:

Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a regular health exam by a health professional preferably every 3 years. Starting at age 40, women should have a CBE by a health professional every year. For this exam, you undress from the waist up. The health professional will first look at the breasts for abnormalities in size or shape, or changes in the skin of the breasts or nipple. Then, using the pads of the fingers, the examiner will gently palpate the breasts. The CBE is a good time for women who don’t know how to examine their breasts to learn the right way to do it from their health care professionals and should ask their doctor or nurse to teach them and watch the technique.

Breast awareness and self-exam:

Beginning in their 20s, women should be told about the benefits and limitations of breast self-exam (BSE). Women should be aware of how their breasts normally look and feel and report any new breast changes to a health professional as soon as they are found. Finding a breast change does not necessarily mean there is a cancer. A woman can notice changes by knowing how her breasts normally look and feel and feeling her breasts for changes (breast awareness), or by choosing to use a step-by-step approach and using a specific schedule to examine her breasts.

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer:

Although widespread use of screening mammograms has increased the number of breast cancers found before they cause any symptoms, some breast cancers are not found by mammograms, either because the test was not done or because even under ideal conditions mammograms do not find every breast cancer. The most common sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A mass that is painless, hard, and has irregular edges is more likely to be cancerous, but breast cancers can be tender, soft, or rounded. For this reason, it is important that any new mass, lump, or breast change is checked by a health care professional with experience in diagnosing breast diseases.

Other possible signs of breast cancer include: Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no distinct lump is felt), skin irritation or dimpling, breast or nipple pain, nipple retraction, redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin or a nipple discharge other than breast milk. Sometimes a breast cancer can spread to underarm lymph nodes and cause a lump or swelling there, even before the original tumor in the breast tissue is large enough to be felt. Swollen lymph nodes should also be reported to your doctor.

(Source: American Cancer Society)

CONCERT FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

The Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School Lightning Singers will combine efforts with the South Florida Lambda Chorale to present “Sing for the Cure: A Proclamation of Hope,” in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Susan B. Komen for the Cure South Florida. The concert will take place on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School Auditorium, 1410 County Line Road, Miami.

Tickets for this one-night concert are $15 and available from the Lambda Chorale members and the students beginning Monday, October 11 or at the door.

For more information contact Gary Keating Lambdagary@aol.com or (954) 650-0143.

COME JOIN A LONG-AGO ERA

Slick back your hair or put on an amazing flapper dress because the Poverello Center is transporting you back to the ‘20s — a time before the Great Depression when modernization, economic growth as well as social progression seemed all encompassing and radio became prolific and with that the sweet jazz music and the Charleston.

Part of that transformation happens as you walk into the Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum where 35 beautifully restored Packards, which were considered the Rolls Royce automobiles from America in their day, along with literally a plethora of early automotive memorabilia will be on display to further your “Roaring 20’s” experience. Not only that, our very own jazz songtress, Kimona with be performing jazz standards from Cole Porter, Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald and Shirley Bassey for your dancing and listening pleasure.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Great Gatsby Gala is pulling out all the stops with an open bar (no Prohibition here) and delicious cuisine provided by Fort Lauderdale’s own Chef Ron Kerr. The menu consists of such items as Miso Glazed Scallops, Stuffed Risotto Croquettes, Braised Short Ribs and ending with such things as Double-Dipped Chocolate Truffle Lollipops.

Finally, Poverello presents a live, as well as a silent auction with items as varied as a sightseeing helicopter ride to Miami and back, lunch with the Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick, and an authentic guitar signed by the famed rock band, Styxx. There is much, much more offered and for a complete listing please go to www.poverello.org

FLORIDA AGENDA TOY DRIVE EXPANDING

A few weeks ago I announced that Florida Agenda would be sponsoring a Holiday Toy Drive kicking off on November 1st. I am very happy to announce our first drop off site: Island City Health and Fitness in the Shoppes of Wilton Manors! In addition to toys, we are also expanding the toy drive to include items for the Broward County Humane Society. Items can be droppedoff during regular business hours. We will also have brightly decorated drop boxes available and any business who would like to help with the collection, we’ll be happy to bring a box to their location. We will periodically pick up the deposited items and bring them to our central collection area. Please contact me at dalemadison1@aol.com or call my cell at (954) 478-2415.

Have an event you’d like to see in this column?

Please email me at dalemadison1@ aol.com

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