Tuesday, October 11, 2011

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month



AAHI Community,

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a real health concern for Asian American women.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
- "Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Asian American women"
- "Asian American women are the least likely to have ever had a mammogram"

The best prevention for breast cancer is getting screenings in a timely manner. There are more treatment options for breast cancer when it is caught early. Because breast cancer may not have symptoms in the beginning states, it is very important to follow screening recommendations. Women are encouraged to do breast self-exams every month to check for lumps or any other abnormalities. Also, the American Cancer Society recommends that women receive Clinical Breast Exams (CBEs) every 3 years starting from the age of 20. When women have reached age 40, they should receive a CBE every year. Furthermore, the Office on Women’s Health supports the guidelines that women should receive mammograms every 1-2 years starting at the age of 40.

To learn about local screening options for low-income, uninsured, Montgomery County residents, please contact one of these organizations (further eligibility criteria applies for each program):

1. Women's Cancer Control Program
Contact and scheduling information: 240-777-1750

2. Breast cancer screening program sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cutre, Holy Cross Hospital, and Holy Cross Hospital Foundation
Contact: Leticia Addo at 301-754-8407 or addol@holycrosshealth.org

1 comment:

  1. Inflammatory Breast Cancer is the "silent killer" undetectable in mammograms, with only a 40 percent survival rate. IBC has a faster doubling time than other cancers, but is often misdiagnosed as mastitis, causing valuable time lost for treatment.

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