Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Brenda Bushey (middle), Hidden Pointe resident, posed with friends (left to right): Kathy Bonvie from Massachusetts, Helen Smades from Florida, Brenda’s husband Brett, and friend Kimberly Conway from Centennial – at the 2023 American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and fundraiser. Brenda has known Kathy and Helen for more than 50 years; the friends flew to Colorado from the East Coast to join Brenda at the event.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, held every October, aims to educate people about breast cancer risk factors, encourage women to schedule screenings, support people diagnosed with breast cancer and fundraise for breast cancer research.
Despite advances, breast cancer remains the number one cancer among women, according to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. In Colorado, one in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, while the national number is one in eight, according to The Colorado Cancer Coalition.
We know from decades of research that getting a regular mammogram starting at age 40 is the best way to detect cancer in its early stages, when it is most treatable. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early, and is in the localized stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 99%. Advances in early detection and treatment methods have significantly increased breast cancer survival rates in recent years, and there are currently more than four million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
Early detection includes doing monthly self-exams and scheduling mammograms which can detect very small abnormalities before they can be felt or seen. According to breastcancer.org, a 3D mammogram provides much more detail than a 2D and is recommended, if possible.
Brenda Bushey, resident in the Hidden Pointe neighborhood, stated, “I was diagnosed in 2017, so I am a seven-year survivor/thriver. I believe early detection is vital to improve one’s chances of survival and it increases treatment choices and options.” Brenda added that for her, participating in support groups and fundraising walks is empowering and creates connections.
Diet is thought to be partly responsible for about 30% to 40% of all cancers. Visit breastcancer.org and use the search bar to learn more about risk factors and prevention.
It is important to check with your doctor about when you should start screening, especially if there is a family history. For women with a first-degree relative such as a mother or sister who has had cancer, it is generally recommended to start screening ten years younger than the relative was at the time of the diagnosis. With a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer, your doctor may recommend other tests, such as a breast MRI or ultrasound.
Visit nationalbreastcancer.org, bcrf.org, and stopbreastcancer.org for more information.
