10/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/01/2024 09:25
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year in the United States, an estimated 240,000 women get breast cancer and 42,000 women die from the disease.Mammogramsare the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms.
Information, education, and mammography screenings will all be available for attendees at this year's annual "Girls Night Out" event at OSF Saint Anthony's Health Center on Thursday, October 24, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. A limited number of mammography screenings are available during the event and appointments are necessary.
Individuals wanting to schedule a mammography screening during the "Girls Night Out" event need to call (618) 474-6791. All event mammography patients will receive a small gift. Insurance information and proper ID will also be needed for those conducting mammography screenings during the event. Light food and drinks will be provided.
New for this year's event will be a spa room for attendees to take advantage of that will include foot spa services and massage chair.
Additionally, more than four (4) local vendors will be on-hand to share information and resources related to breast cancer awareness - including:
Other than skin cancer, breast canceris the most common cancer among American women.
Breast canceris a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. There are different kinds of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast turn into cancer.Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules. Breast cancer can spread outside the breast through blood vessels and lymph vessels. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have metastasized.
The most common kinds of breast cancer are:
There are several other less common kinds of breast cancer, such as Paget's disease, medullary, mucinous, and inflammatory breast cancer.
Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all.
Some warning signs of breast cancer are:
Keep in mind that these symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.
Studies have shown that your risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors. The main factors that influence your risk include being a woman and getting older. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older.
Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect. Most women have some risk factors, but most women do not get breast cancer.
What are some risk factors you cannot change?
So what are some risk factors you can change?
Being physically active can help lower your risk of getting breast cancer. Other topics worth paying attention to include:
Research suggests that other factors such as smoking, being exposed to chemicals that can cause cancer, and changes in other hormones due to night shift working also may increase breast cancer risk.
If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes,you may have a high risk of getting breast cancer. You may also have a high risk for ovarian cancer.
And as with any health concerns that you may have, always consult with your primary care provider to know what your best course of action might be.
Learn more about women's health care services at OSF Saint Anthony's by visiting www.osfsaintanthonys.org.