Feel your boobies

 

Today marks the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Although I haven’t been closely affected by breast cancer in my immediate family, I intend to keep it that way. Breast cancer is treatable if detected early. With catchy campaigns of pink ribbons and taboo slogans, everyone knows what the pink ribbon stands for, but sometimes we get caught up in the hype and miss the real message. Take a few minutes to absorb these facts. Check yourself once a month. Know the facts!

According to the CDC:

In 2006 (the most recent year numbers are available)—

• 191,410 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
• 40,820 women died from breast cancer.

An estimated 182,800 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2000.

Approximately 42,200 deaths will occur in women from breast cancer in 2000.

One in eight women or 12.6% of all women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.

Breast cancer risk increases with age and every woman is at risk.

Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.

Seventy-seven percent of women with breast cancer are over 50.

Approximately 1400 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2000 and 400 of those men will die.

More than 1.7 million women who have had breast cancer are still alive in the United States.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 15 and 54, and the second cause of cancer death in women 55 to 74.

The first sign of breast cancer usually shows up on a woman's mammogram before it can be felt or any other symptoms are present.

Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and particularly yearly mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival.

Ninety-six percent of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be cancer-free after five years.

You are never too young to develop breast cancer! Breast Self-Exam should begin by the age of twenty.