Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of death among women and one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Each year an estimated 252,170 women, or one every two minutes, are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States alone, and more than 40,500 will die, one every 13 minutes.
Altru Clinic is providing free breast exams from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. through Friday, November 2 explains Alanna Strom. “Altru is providing free clinical breast exams by one of our female advanced practitioners.” She added that monthly self-exams can help detect some of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer such as “any swelling of the breast either part or all of it, skin irritation or dimpling sometimes looking like orange peel, breast or nipple pain, redness, scaly skin, thickening of the skin or nipple or any discharge that is not from breastfeeding.”
There are several genetic factors in play with breast cancer including gender, age, race, family history, personal health history, menstrual and reproductive history, genome changes and dense breast tissue. Women are nearly 100 times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than men. Although as anyone who watches the new hit NBC drama “A Million Little Things” can tell you, men can get breast cancer. Males account for less than one percent of all breast cancer diagnosis with only an estimated 2,470 men are diagnosed each year.
Environmental factors and lifestyle can also increase the risk of breast cancer including lack of physical activity, poor diet, being overweight, drinking alcohol, radiation and combined hormone replacement therapy prescribed for menopause. However, an estimated 60 to 70 percent of people diagnosed with breast cancer have no connection to the risk factors.
There is no appointment necessary for the breast exams, and if any possible signs or symptoms of breast cancer are discovered patients will be encouraged to schedule a regular mammogram.
