October is often a month marked by an explosion of pink scarves, socks, shirts and even those little pink ribbons reminding us that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a time to support breast cancer survivors and those affected by it, and to perhaps join in the many walks across the state for breast cancer research.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women next to skin cancer. About one in eight women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime, and it even affects one in 1,000 men across the nation.
Although breast cancer mostly occurs among older women, it does affect women under the age of 45 in rare cases. About nine percent of all new cases in the United States are found in women younger than 45, and the risk increases substantially for those aged 50 and older.
In general, cancer rates in Maine are the worst in New England and significantly higher than the national average, according to the Maine Cancer Foundation. Not only is cancer the leading cause of death in Maine, one in three individuals will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.
The U.S. CDC recommends that women get regular mammograms, which it said is the best way to detect breast cancer in its early stages when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. They also administer the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which provides breast and cervical cancer screenings and diagnostic services to women who have low incomes and are uninsured or underinsured.
For more information about breast cancer and resources that are available, visit the American Cancer Society or Maine Cancer Foundation. For more information about the CDC’s Early Detection Program and upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks in Maine, please visit their respective websites.
