This weeks post is dedicated to anyone who has been touched by the awful disease of breast cancer. Whether you have suffered through the disease yourself or watched a loved one endure the hell of chemo & radiation, it seems we have all been affected by breast cancer in some way or another.
I thought I knew a lot about breast cancer until I sat down & started gathering info for this blog. The numbers are staggering and truly surprised me. Don’t get me wrong, scientists have made huge strides toward fighting this disease but they still have such a long way to go. Here are a few facts I learned:
BREAST CANCER STATISTICS:
The two most common risk factors for breast cancer are:
- Being female
- Getting older
All women are at risk for breast cancer. The risk of getting breast cancer increases as you age. Most breast cancers and breast cancer deaths occur in women aged 50 and older
No matter your age, you should know how your breasts normally look and feel. If you notice any changes, see your health care provider.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. About 1 in 8 (12%) women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2014 are:
- About 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
- About 62,570 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).
- About 40,000 women will die from breast cancer
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 1 in 36 (about 3%). Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1989, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment.
At this time there are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. (This includes women still being treated and those who have completed treatment.)
At Jen’s Gentle Pet Sitters, LLC, we are not only worried about your animals being cared for properly but we also want our clients healthy & happy for as long as possible. We would like every woman out there, regardless of race, age, creed, religion or finances, to be given the opportunity of a having a mammogram performed. We will be donating $5 from every new JGPS client in the month of October to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. We would also like to urge all women out there to know how to properly perform a self breast exam as this is where a majority of women realize something is wrong which leads them to get a mammogram done which could end up helping to save their lives.
Please follow this link from Johns Hopkins University to learn the technique for a breast self exam: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/breast_health/how_to_perform_a_breast_self-examination_bse_85,P00135/
I would love to have everyone who reads this blog to have a chance to remember someone you love who has had breast cancer whether they lost their battle, have been survivors for 10 years or are currently fighting for their life…please type the persons name & relation to you & feel free to share the story of how it affected you. Knowledge truly is power and I am hoping I have helped at least one person reading this, as scary as it may be, to call & make that appointment for a mammogram because we can’t fix what we don’t know is broken, right?
Thanks for taking time to stop by our blog page. Sophie will be back next week with more of her crazy puppy stories but in the meantime she says “CHECK YOURSELF” and remind your friends & loved ones to do the same.
Peace, Love & Paws, Cara