Many of us define Breast
Cancer Awareness Month, also known as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
(NBCAM), as an annual health campaign organized by major breast cancer
charities every October to (1) increase awareness of the disease and to (2)
raise funding for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and
cure.
Critics define Breast
Cancer Awareness Month by conflicts of interest, mostly between corporations
sponsoring breast cancer awareness while profiting from diagnosis and
treatment. For example, Breast Cancer Action, a breast cancer advocacy
organization, sites that October is now more of a public relations campaign
that avoids discussion of the causes and prevention of breast cancer and
instead focuses on “awareness” as a way to encourage women to have their
breasts examined. Other criticisms are centered on marketing efforts of "pink
products", citing that more money is spent on marketing campaigns than the
amount that is donated to the cause.
People directly impacted
by breast cancer, such as sufferers, survivors, friends and families of the former
and the deceased, may define the most intimate and realistic details of this
disease. They may even identify less with the more commercially publicized
aspects of breast cancer awareness that many of us have grown accustomed to
since Breast Cancer Awareness Month was established. For example, some sufferers and supporters alike
define the issue of “how to” address the subject of breast cancer awareness and
breast cancer prevention, while many people simply aim to get the word out or
hope to serve the cause in any way they can.
More specifically, there
seem to be conflicting ideas and opinions about the designated month of October
altogether, the use of the color pink to denote the month, and the added
attention on breasts and the use of their likeness in campaigns and messages
geared toward the cause. While this list could go on, so does the rest of the
year as October passes and cancer persists. That being said, we can debate these
messages and campaigns that are offensive to women, ridicule the lack of socially
responsibility on behalf of certain corporations, and chastise those entities
we deem unworthy of donating to charities for breast cancer, but all in all, we
should note that takes us further from raising awareness about the causes and
prevention of breast cancer. Is this a matter of harsh reality vs. what is
ideal? Ideally, no person would ever get cancer of any kind, therefore omitting
the need for this month of awareness. We can imagine that when a cure is
discovered any person with cancer would be afforded the rights to have it, all
of which takes us down sort of a rabbit-hole.
In reality, we can argue the correct way to address breast cancer and single
out those who do it “distastefully” but that battle isn’t against cancer, so
who wins? Is there a better way to bring awareness to risk factors and
preventative measures associated with breast cancer? If so, continue to teach
them. Is there a more “righteous”, less-breasts centered way to urge young
women to pay attention to their breasts? If so, continue to highlight them. In a just
world, all supporters would have perfect and good intentions, all messages
would be void of humor and sexuality that is offensive to others and full of
perfect sentiments to champion the cause, and of course, no donation or marketing
effort would be in vain.
As a woman who primarily
acknowledges the risks, implications, and preventative measures associated with
this disease, I’d like to encourage you to define breast-cancer for yourself or
with your community and identify with how you or someone you know could be
personally impacted by this disease in reality and how you can take action to help.
For starters, do you know who's at risk, what puts you at risk, or preventative
measures to keep breast cancer away? As the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month approaches,
here are a few “Reality Checks”
to consider for a lifetime.
Reality
Check #1: The vast majority of women with breast cancer have
no family history.
Get Screened. Ask your health care provider
which screening tests are right for you if you are at a higher risk. Have a mammogram every year starting at age
40 if you are at average risk. Have a clinical breast exam at least every three
years starting at age 20, and every year starting at age 40.
Know what is normal for you and
see your health care provider if you notice any of these breast changes:
- Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
- Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast
- Change in the size or shape of the breast
- Dimpling or puckering of the skin
- Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
- Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
- Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
- New pain in one spot that doesn't go away
Reality Check #2: Being heavy (overweight)
increases your risk a whole lot—by as much as 40%. Take responsibility for the
aspects of your body and health that are within your control.
Make healthy lifestyle choices. Physical activity
contributes to health by reducing the heart rate, decreasing the risk for
cardiovascular disease, and reducing the amount of bone loss that is associated
with age and osteoporosis. Physical activity also helps the body use calories
more efficiently, thereby helping in weight loss and maintenance. It can
increase basal metabolic rate, reduces appetite, and helps in the reduction of
body fat.
· Avoid
becoming overweight or lose weight.
Obesity raises the risk of breast cancer after menopause, the time of life when
breast cancer most often occurs. Avoid gaining weight over time, and try to
maintain a body-mass index under 25 (calculators can be found online).
· Eat
healthy. Embrace
a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in sugared drinks, refined
carbohydrates and fatty foods. Consider eating lean protein such as fish or
chicken breast and red meat in moderation, if at all. Eat whole grains. Choose
vegetable oils over animal fats.
·
Keep
physically active.
Research suggests that increased physical activity, even when begun later in
life, reduces overall breast-cancer risk by about 10 percent to 30 percent. For
example, moderate exercise like a 30-minute walk five days a week.
Reality Check #3: Studies show that current or
recent use of birth control pills (oral contraceptives) slightly increases the
risk of breast cancer.
Weigh the pros and cons of birth
control pill use. Although
taking the pill slightly increases risk, most women on the pill are at low risk
of breast cancer because they are young and premenopausal. So, even with a
slight increase in risk, they are still unlikely to get breast cancer. And,
once women stop taking the pill, the slight increase in risk begins to decrease
and over time, goes away. Did you know:
Once women stop taking the pill, their risk begins to decrease, returning to
that of “never users” in about 10 years! Before making any decisions about
birth control pills, you should weigh the pros and cons of using them. One area
still under study is how today's lower-dose pills affect breast cancer risk.
However, more research is needed to draw conclusions. At this time, there are
too few data to comment on whether these pills affect breast cancer risk the
same as other types of birth control pills.
Reality Check #4: Breast cancer also develops in
men.
Remember
to love your body; acknowledge any risk factors you identify with and safeguard
your health. God Bless!
Resources
www.cancer.gov -- National Cancer Institute
www.breastcancer.org – BreastCancer.Org
www.fhcrc.org -- Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
www.komen.org -- Susan
G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
www.nbcam.org -- Official National Breast
Cancer Awareness Month
www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials -- Find
clinical trials
www.breastcancer.org/risk --
More about how to reduce your risk of breast cancer
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast --
More about breast cancer in men
Follow Tiffany on Twitter: @Victory_Nicole and on Instagram: @victorynicole
