Breast Cancer Awareness Month at MSCI
October is a very important month in the health industry: it’s breast cancer awareness month, and across the nation, institutions are raising awareness over this disease that affects hundreds of thousands of women every year. In fact, the National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
However, breast cancer also has a very high survival rate, especially if it is caught early enough. The American Cancer Society puts the 5-year survival rates for someone with stage 1 breast cancer at 100%, while stage 2 breast cancer has 93%. The survival rate goes down the higher the stage: stage 3 has a 72% survival rate and stage 4 has a 22% survival rate. Stages define how far the cancer has progressed and are usually marked by advancing to different parts of the body.
Early detection is key when it comes to breast cancer. People who are at risk include those with unhealthy lifestyles and those individuals who have a family history of breast cancer. One of the best ways to detect breast cancer is to have regular screenings, which can detect breast cancer early when it’s the easiest to treat. Later stages of breast cancer can metastasize in other parts of the body and may require additional treatments after removal of the tumor.
A great way to minimize your risk of breast cancer if you don’t have a family history of the disease is to participate in healthy habits. Studies have shown that living a healthy life can reduce the chance of cancer. Being active, limiting the amount of alcohol you drink, exercising, not smoking, and sleeping enough all contribute to reducing the chance of breast cancer. Additionally, if you are taking hormone replacement therapy, talk to your doctor about the risks of the treatment.
If you have not had a breast cancer screening in a while, schedule yours with our doctors. Additionally, you can schedule a digital mammogram using our self-referable services without having to see a general practitioner. If it’s time to schedule your breast cancer screening or to see a doctor, give us a call at 972-253-4200