Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, affecting millions each year. October, known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, serves as a crucial period for raising awareness about this disease, encouraging education, and promoting early detection through screening. Despite significant advances in treatment and survival rates, early detection remains the key to improving outcomes, making awareness and screening vitally important.
Breast cancer occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get breast cancer too. In fact, an estimated 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States this year according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. Locally in Chaffee County, overall breast cancer rates in 2023 were 141.8 per 100,000, trending stable vs increasing. Cancer starts when cells begin to grow out of control. (To learn more about how cancers start and spread, see What Is Cancer?)
It’s important to understand that most breast lumps are benign and not cancer (malignant). Non-cancer breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not spread outside of the breast. They are not life threatening, but some types of benign breast lumps can increase a person’s risk of getting breast cancer.
Any breast lump or change needs to be checked by a health care professional to find out if it is benign or malignant (cancer) and if it might affect your future cancer risk.
While the exact cause of breast cancer is not fully understood, several risk factors can increase the likelihood of developing the disease. These include age, family history of breast cancer, genetic mutations, hormonal factors, lifestyle choices (such as alcohol consumption and physical inactivity), and certain reproductive factors.
Raising awareness about breast cancer is essential. It empowers individuals to take charge of their health by recognizing early warning signs and seeking prompt medical attention. Public education helps dispel myths surrounding the disease and encourages people with breasts, especially those at higher risk, to prioritize breast health.
There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer. But there are things you can do that might lower your risk. This can be especially helpful for people with certain risk factors for breast cancer, such as having a strong family history or certain inherited gene changes. Early detection can make a significant difference in treatment options and outcomes, and getting regular breast screenings helps increase chances of early detection.
Breast cancer screening plays a crucial role in the early detection of the disease, often before symptoms appear. The most common and effective screening tool is mammography, an X-ray of the breast that can detect tumors too small to be felt. Other screening methods include clinical breast exams, where a healthcare professional manually examines the breasts for lumps, and breast self-exams, which can help individuals familiarize themselves with the normal look and feel of their breasts.
Despite the proven benefits of breast cancer screening, many people do not get screened regularly. Barriers include fear of discomfort during a mammogram, anxiety about possible results, financial concerns, or lack of access to healthcare. To help overcome these obstacles in Chaffee County, Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC) offers the Women’s Wellness Connection Program which is grant funded. Women’s Wellness Connection educates, empowers, and encourages women to access annual wellness exams. This program helps to ensure all women have access to these services, regardless of income or insurance coverage. The Women’s Wellness Connection program offers free cervical cancer screenings/Pap smear tests and free breast cancer screenings/mammograms to women who qualify. To be eligible, women must be between 21-64 years old, living within a specific income level, be uninsured or underinsured, and reside in Chaffee, Saguache, Custer, western Fremont, western Park, or Lake Counties. HRRMC’s Women’s Wellness Connection team provides the support needed to navigate the healthcare system. The Women’s Health Coordinator, Melanie Critelli, can help to connect patients with doctors, schedule appointments, and answer questions about preventative screenings – all at no cost. To determine eligibility and navigate care, e-mail WWC Women’s Health Coordinator, Melanie Critelli at melanie.critelli@hrrmc.net, or call or text her at (719) 530-1065. For additional questions, email Outreach Coordinator Carrie McBride at carrie.mcbride@hrrmc.net.
Conclusion
Breast cancer awareness and screening go hand-in-hand in the fight against this pervasive disease. Awareness empowers individuals with the knowledge to recognize symptoms and prioritize their health, while regular screenings provide the best chance for early detection and successful treatment. As awareness campaigns continue to spread the message and screening technologies advance, the hope is that more lives will be saved, and breast cancer will become a more manageable disease for everyone affected. Taking charge of breast health through education and regular screenings is a critical step every woman can take to protect her future.
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