When It Comes To Breast Cancer Fear Is Your Enemy!
Pfizer a larger pharmaceutical company recently stated “ every year at least 100,000 new cases of breast cancer.” They are alarmed with these numbers and are sending out the alarm bells for a call to action to deal with these alarming numbers. If you still aren’t convinced there is a problem then consider this – there are 25 cases of breast cancer for 100,000. That makes it the most common form of cancer in women. Pfizer estimates more than 400,000 women die each year from breast cancer. You can see why the alarm bells are ringing.
But at the same time should we be scaring women? Fear doesn’t solve anything. In fact, many times we’ll avoid something for fear of what we dread the most occurring. For example, many women do not do breast self examinations because of the fear of finding something.
Now that might sound odd but we’re woman and we have no time to stop for injury, illness, and certainly not for the dreaded breast cancer and so instead we would rather ignore the entire subject and by not doing the breast cancer self examination it’s out of sight and out of mind.
Worse yet according to Punch awareness is at an all time low. That means between fear and lack of education far too many people are being treated for breast cancer once their chances of survival are dismally low.
What does all this mean? It means we still are not doing a good enough job of educating women. We still aren’t giving them the right tools to save their lives. Yes we all know that breast self exams are important but how many women are doing them? We know early detection is critical yet if we are being honest the numbers are still dismal.
So what should you do?
1. Have a mammogram regularly if you are at higher risk because breast cancer runs in your family, or if you are over 40.
2. Have a annual clinical examination.
3. Do a self breast exam monthly.
Watch for changes in shape or position of the nipple, continuous pain in any part of your breast, continuous pain under your armpit, a rash around the nipple, or swelling around your collarbone or under your armpit.
You can be a breast cancer survivor – don’t be afraid!
