Eight tips for breast cancer prevention
As you may know, 1 in 8 women are impacted by breast cancer in their lifetime, as it’s the most common cancer in American women. Knowing that this is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, treatment is most successful when breast cancer is detected early.
As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Dr. David White, MD, FACS from Pacific Medical Centers (PacMed) offers his insight into common misconceptions, for men and women, regarding breast cancer risks, facts and signs. Additionally, he shared that PacMed follows the American Cancer Society guidelines for breast cancer.
Dr. White is a surgeon at PacMed’s Canyon Park, First Hill and Northgate clinics and shares 8 tips regarding breast cancer prevention:
- Women with a family history, particularly with a genetic component should see their primary care physician at least 10 years before the onset of the family member’s cancer to discuss and evaluate.
- Breast cancer in younger women is on the rise.
- Men can get breast cancer as well and approximately 1 percent of breast cancer patients are male. Symptoms for men include breast pain or mass, nipple changes, including discharge/blood and breast enlargement. Men who have a family member with a genetic form of breast cancer are at increased risk.
- Current treatments are focused on breast conservation when appropriate, which greatly reduces the physical and psychological challenges of surgery.
- See your physician if you have the following: breast masses or bloody/black nipple discharge. Changes in your own breasts should be taken seriously.
- Breast cancer screening guidelines are variable, so patients must discuss a breast screening plan individualized for them.
- Currently, there are many genetic associated breast cancers to scan for.
- New mammographic techniques have improved the sensitivity of mammograms.
