Breast Cancer Awareness

WHAT IS BREAST CANCER?

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women, and is found in one in eight women in the United States. It is a group of diseases in which cells in the tissues of the breast become abnormal and divide without order or control. These malignant cells form too much tissue and become a tumor. The tumor can grow into nearby tissue or cells break away and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system eventually affecting other organs. Twice as many African-American women who have breast cancer die from it as white women, although fewer African-American women get the disease. Since 1989, deaths from breast cancer are down 5 percent for all women. However, the death rate remains disproportionately high for African-American women. That may be because we are less likely to get mammograms because we either think we won't get breast cancer or don't have access to care. Encourage your sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts and grandmothers to get screened regularly. Too many African-American women die needlessly from breast cancer who might have lived with early diagnosis and treatment.

PREVENTION

	Exercise regularly
	Control weight
	Know your family history of breast cancer
	Find out the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy
	Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
	Get screened regularly and early

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

	New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
	Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
	Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
	Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
	Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
	Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
	Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
	Pain in any area of the breast