Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The breast cancer awareness month starts today, 26 years after October was first named breast cancer awareness month, and the illness still affects many, many people each year. However new medical advances and treatments have transformed the disease from a near death sentence to a survivable condition.
In a report, researchers say 60 years ago, a woman who received a breast cancer diagnosis had just a 25-percent chance of living ten years. Today the survival rate is higher than 75%. That’s according to a study of women treated at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Men get breast cancer too, though much less frequently than women. For every 100 cases in women, one man gets breast cancer, according to the CDC. It's also important to know the warning signs of breast cancer.
These include:
* New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
* 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 the shape of the breast.
* Pain in any area of the breast.
