AS OF YET,
there is no
sure way to prevent
breast cancer, the
second leading cause
of cancer deaths
among women in
this country. Even
so, there are clear
steps women can
take to reduce their
risk. And October,
which is nationally
recognized as Breast
Cancer Awareness
Month, is the ideal
time to take them.
One key safeguard is for women to
maintain a healthy weight, especially
in midlife and later. After menopause,
most of the hormone estrogen in a
woman’s body comes from fat cells.
Estrogen can spur the growth of many
breast tumors, and being overweight
or obese can raise breast cancer risk.
Women may be especially vulnerable
to breast cancer if extra pounds settle
on their waist, rather than their hips
and thighs.
Tese additional steps may help
women reduce their risk for breast
cancer, according to the American
Cancer Society (ACS):
Avoid alcohol.
Drinking is clearly
tied to a heightened risk of develop-
ing breast cancer. In fact, your risk
increases the more you drink.
Be active.
A growing body of re-
search indicates that exercise lowers
breast cancer risk. Aim for 45 to 60
minutes of exercise at least fve days
a week.
Connie Duke, RN, OCN, Director of the Keyserling
Cancer Center, says her experience leads her to
recommend
annual mammograms
after a woman reaches age 40.
Watch the video at
www.YouTube.com/BeaufortMemorial
.
October: A good time
to consider breast health
You have just heard the words
“You have breast cancer.”
Now what?
A diagnosis of breast
cancer calls for sudden
decision-making, learning an
overwhelming amount of new
information and unfamiliar
medical language at a rapid
rate. But few people can think
clearly when experiencing
strong emotions like the anxi-
ety, anger, and fear that follow
a cancer diagnosis.
However, the time im-
mediately after diagnosis is
exactly when you need to be
at your sharpest and most
focused. We want to help you
achieve that sense of control
and support.
Te support group
Women in Search of Help
(WISH):
✓
✓
Empowers breast cancer
patients to take control.
✓
✓
Ofers emotional support.
✓
✓
Provides timely education
about treatment for breast
cancer.
Te focus of WISH is tar-
geted support for the newly
diagnosed. WISH is facili-
tated by Beaufort Memorial
Hospital Social Services and
assisted by Breast Health
Specialists.
Support for the
newly diagnosed
Join us for WISH
meetings!
Tird Tursday of each month,
5:30 p.m., Beaufort Memorial
Keyserling Cancer Center Library,
1680 Ribaut Road, Port Royal.
Questions? Call Beaufort
Memorial’s Gabriela Failing at
843-522-5897
or Dixie Slichter
at
843-522-5570
.
Carefully weigh the pros and cons of
hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy that
uses both estrogen and progesterone can
increase breast cancer risk in as few as
two years of use. Te use of estrogen alone
after menopause seems to raise risk after
10 or more years of use. If a woman and
her doctor agree that hormone therapy
is necessary to ease bothersome meno-
pausal symptoms such as hot fashes, it is
best to take the lowest efective dose for
the shortest possible time.
Since breast cancer can develop even
with these precautions, the ACS advises
women to have yearly mammograms
starting at age 40 and continuing for as
long as they are in good health.
Regular mammograms (breast x-rays)
can detect cancer in its early stages and
give women a head start on potentially
lifesaving treatment. If you have a height-
ened risk of breast cancer—for example,
if you have very dense breasts—ask your
doctor if you need additional screening
tests, such as an MRI scan.
Doctor Referral Service: 888-522-5585 • Health Scene
23