Breast cancer awareness: Are you at risk?

Though Houston’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure took place Oct. 1, organizations affiliated with breast cancer awareness urge women to educate themselves about the risk factors, warning signs and screening methods this month. | Photos.com

Three decades ago, a promise was made. While Susan G. Komen battled cancer for three years, she spent many of her days in the hospital contemplating ways to help others who had been diagnosed with the same illness.

During her final days she made a request — she asked her sister, Nancy Brinker, to find a cure. That promise has flourished into a billion-dollar organization committed to helping others like Komen by providing support and empowerment, and by funding research programs dedicated to finding a cure.

Since then, the breast cancer survival rate has improved significantly. In fact, the five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer today is 90 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.

If breast cancer is detected early on, the survival rate jumps to 98 percent. But we still have a long way to go. In the US, there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors.

Despite grass-roots efforts by the world-renowned Komen Foundation, the disease is still the second leading cause of death for women, preceded only by lung cancer. In 2007, more than 200,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 died of the disease.

While they are less commonly affected, men are also at risk for the disease. The CDC says that men account for one in every 100 cases of breast cancer. Signs and treatment for men and women are almost identical.

The causes of breast cancer are still unclear, but researchers have found several risk factors that may increase the chances of getting the potentially deadly disease.

Among other things, old age, being younger at menarche, not breastfeeding, being overweight, having a family history of breast cancer, consuming more than one alcoholic beverage a day and oral contraceptives can put you further at risk.

A new frontier of research has taken flight which suggests that eating healthy and exercising can help reduce the risk.

According to an article published in USA Today, exercise may not change the inner-workings of the tumor cell, but it can change its environment — also referred to as the microenvironment — including blood vessels, the immune system and surrounding tissues.

Researchers argue that a healthy environment for cells is as important as what they have inside them.

Exercising helps keep these cells in line so they don’t become trouble makers. The article further mentions that failing to exercise puts the tumor cells in a “bad neighborhood,” which can cause them to terrorize the body.

How it works

Exercise and a diet that is low in fat and high in fruits and veggies lowers your level of estrogen. Although women need estrogen to mature and develop strong bones, overexposure to estrogen can lead to breast cancer.

Researchers are currently trying to discover ways the tumor environment can stop cancer before it starts.

Doctors already use Avastin, which targets the cancer’s blood supply. The article states that learning more about cancer’s environment could provide more resources and new drugs that curb inflammation and help battle breast cancer.

Decrease your risk of getting breast cancer by getting regular mammograms, eating healthy and exercising. Also, make sure you know the signs.

Screening

If you are experiencing any of the listed changes to your body, make sure to screen your breasts for cancer.

There are three main methods to choose from, including the mammogram, which is an x-ray of the breast, a clinical breast exam, a manual examination by a doctor or nurse who checks for lumps or a breast self-exam, where you check your own breasts for lumps or changes in the size or shape of your chest.

Those between the ages of 50 and 74 need to get examinations regularly every two years. Remember — routine examinations help lower your risk of dying from breast cancer.

Staging

If breast cancer is diagnosed, tests are conducted to find out if the disease has spread within the breasts or to other parts of the body.

Different versions of treatment, including chemotherapy, surgery, hormonal, radiation and biological therapy are used, depending on how far the cancer has spread.

What you can do to help

Participating in clinical trials can help researchers find new methods of treatment and it can bring scientists one step closer to finding a cure.

For those who have not been diagnosed with cancer, showing your support can go a long way. Get involved in organizations to raise money for the cure. You can also participate in the Race for the Cure alongside thousands of men and women who have helped raise billions to go to the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation.

The races have not only raised billions of dollars, but they are also a source of hope for grieving loved ones. The event is held all around the world in different cities toward the end of October.

Where to go to get tested

In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the UH Health Center will offer free manual breast exams from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. today and Thursday, Oct. 20 to all students, faculty and staff with a photo ID. No appointment is needed.