October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and for good reason. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. Currently, the average risk of a woman in the U.S. developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 12%. This means there is a one in eight chance she will develop breast cancer.
If the numbers don’t impress you, stories of breast cancer survivors will. It’s very likely that everyone knows a friend or family member who was directly impacted by breast cancer. We sat down with Dr. Patricia Martz, Board-Certified General and Breast Surgeon with Cape Regional Health System to learn more.
“The top three screenings that women should commit to for a healthy lifestyle include an annual screening mammogram, an annual pap smear and a colonoscopy, per the recommendation. For early detection of breast cancer, screening with a mammogram should start at about age 40 and continue yearly thereafter until 10 years before life expectancy. Studies have not proven the efficacy of self-breast exams. That is they have not been shown to extend life as has mammography. However, I continue to recommend self-exams, as patients know their body best and have found issues that radiologic studies can miss.”
Dr. Martz stressed, “Any change in a woman’s breasts that are out of the ordinary monthly changes should prompt the patient to contact her physician. Any new mass that persists through one menstrual cycle, or any changes in the skin such as dimpling, redness, excoriation of the nipple or the breast skin, swelling or itching should prompt a consult with a physician immediately.”
Although there are factors such as genetics that cannot be changed, a healthy diet, maintenance of an ideal weight, limiting alcohol intake, avoidance of post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy and 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise daily are methods of reducing breast cancer risk, according to Dr. Martz.
Dr. Martz explained that some common misconceptions about breast health include:
1. Screening mammograms cause breast cancer
2. Mammograms cause breast cancer to spread if it already exists
3. Antiperspirants cause breast cancer
4. Cell phones can cause breast cancer
5. Underwire can cause breast cancer
6. All breast cancers are the same
She explained, “Screening mammograms expose us to about as much radiation that we are exposed to just walking around and eating every day. There have been no studies that show that this increases the risk of breast cancer if done yearly after the age of 40. Mammograms causing breast cancer to spread if it already exists is untrue; the mammography machine does not cause cancer to break apart and spread – this is a misconception. Antiperspirants, cell phones and underwire causing breast cancer have never been proven by any prospective or retrospective study. And finally, all breast cancers are the same… this is untrue. Each type of breast cancer has its own DNA, and there are many subtypes of breast cancer such as ductal breast cancer and lobular breast cancer. There are different histologic types of lobular and ductal cancer. Each breast cancer is tested for genetic subtypes and treated based on markers that are on the breast cancer and the genetics of the breast cancer, as well as the size of the breast cancer and the patient’s menopausal status.”
For more information, visit www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer, and for more Herald health and wellness reports, visit capemaycountyherald.com and click the Lifestyle tab. To schedule an appointment with any Cape Regional Health System provider, or for information on services and living a healthier life, call (609) 463-CAPE.
