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Breast cancer
- Each year in the U.S. more than 170,000 women are diagnosed with breast
cancer, and 39,600 will die from the disease
- Over half of all breast cancers are found by women themselves
- Most breast cancers occur in women who have no family history or other
known risk factor
- The good news is that when breast cancer is found early, it is almost
always curable
Resources to help you:
 Risk factors for breast cancer:
- Increasing age
- Ashkenazi descent
- Mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer before menopause, or father
with a breast cancer diagnosis
- Having first child after age 30 or never being pregnant
- Previous personal history of breast or ovarian cancer
- Personal history of having breast biopsies
- Personal history of being diagnosed with atypical cells of the breast
- Late onset of menopause (average age is 51)
- Onset of menstruation before age 12
Signs of breast cancer:
- Any new, hard lump or thickening in the breast or under the
arm
- Change in the size, shape or color of the breast
- Dimpling or puckering of the breast tissue
- Swelling, redness or warmth that does not go away
- Pain in one spot that does not vary with your menstrual cycle
- Nipple discharge or bleeding that starts suddenly and appears in only one
breast
- An itchy, sore or scaling area on one nipple
- Nipple inversion
 What can I do?
- Consider self-breast exams monthly
- Consider clinical breast exams annually
- If you are 40 years or older, have a mammogram every 1-2 years
- Eat a healthy diet, limit fat
- Limit alcohol intake
- Aerobic exercise, 30-60 minutes per day, 5-7 days a
week
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