DO YOU KNOW THE FACTS?
October is breast cancer awareness month. How can you get involved? First and foremost, start by incorporating regular self breast examinations into your routine. Twenty-five percent of all breast cancers are found by women doing their own breast examination. It is best to begin these examinations while you are healthy. That way you will be able to recognize any changes to your body.
Next, learn the facts. Once you learn the facts, spread the word to everyone in your community and beyond. Healthy living should be a part of everyone’s life.
10 common breast cancer myths:
1) Men are not in danger of contracting breast cancer.
False: It is far less common in men, however, an estimated 2,000 new cases are diagnosed in men each year.
2) Breast cancer occurs only in women over 40. [click to continue…]
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with 42 000 new cases each year in France. Breast cancer will affect one in eight women during her life.
Risk Factors
Some risk factors have been identified (a woman with these factors will have a higher risk of developing another breast cancer).
First, the more we advance in age, the risk is high: two thirds of these cancers actually occur after 50 years.
The family history then: a cancer in a first-degree relative, mother or sister increases the risk by five. Hereditary cancers are rare: only 5% of women with breast cancer carry a genetic predisposition that they transmit to their daughters. The personal story is another one of these triggers: the risk of developing a second breast cancer is four to five times higher than average.
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Symptoms of Cancer
Cancer manifests itself in a very variable. It usually develops over many years before symptoms appear. The following 
symptoms may be signs of cancer. In their presence, consult a doctor.
* A palpable mass, especially if it increases the volume of a nodule in one breast under the skin, a lymph node, etc..
* A mole or skin spot that changes in appearance, color or size, or bleeding.
* A bleeding: blood in the sputum, urine or stool. For women, vaginal blood loss during the cycle or after menopause.
* Symptoms: Persistent cough and unexplained hoarseness for more than four weeks, difficulty swallowing, nausea and vomiting, a sore that does not heal in three weeks, diarrhea or constipation for six weeks or more.
* A withdrawal or discharge from the nipple.
* Headaches and recurrent violence.
* Extreme fatigue.
* A rapid weight loss, unexplained.
People at risk
* Some families are more frequently affected by cancer. There would, in these families, genetic predisposition to cancer, passed from one generation to another. This may be the case for breast, ovarian and colon cancer. Even in people whose genetic background predisposes to cancer, the risk of being a fair and depends largely on the lifestyle and environment.
* People who have had cancer. [click to continue…]