Early detection of breast cancer offers the best chance of survival
Most sources agree that mammograms are a woman’s best detector of breast cancer
- Mammograms are recommended for women every one to two years beginning at age 40.
- Also important are monthly self breast exams and yearly breast exams by a trained professional.
- Only 61.5% of American women 40 and over had a mammogram within the past two years.
- Mammography is a low-dose-x-ray procedure that allows visualization of the internal structure of the breast.
- Mammography is highly accurate and will (on average) detect 80-90% of breast cancers in women without symptoms.
It is very important for women to follow recommended guidelines for finding breast cancer at an early stage, before symptoms develop
- Early stage breast cancer typically produces no symptoms when the tumor is small and most treatable. When breast cancer has grown to a size that can be felt, the most common physical symptom is a painless mass.
- Less common signs and symptoms include breast pain or heaviness and persistent changes to the breast, such as thickening, swelling, redness and nipple abnormalities such as spontaneous discharge, erosion, inversion or tenderness.
1 out of 8 American women will develop breast cancer (In 1975 it was one in 11)
- The greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer is being female and the second is age.
- Caucasian women are slightly more likely to get breast cancer, but African-American women are more likely to die of this cancer.
- The disk of developing breast cancer increases for women whose parent or siblings have had the disease. Alcohol and obesity also increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.
In 2011 2.6 million women in American were breast cancer survivors!
- An estimated 226,870 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in American women during 2012. About 2190 new cases of breast cancer are expected in men.
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among American women (excluding cancers of the skin). Breast cancer accounts for more than 1 in 4 cancers.
- Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.
Florida 2010 census figures show a Franklin County population of 4897 women. Franklin Needs, Inc., a local non-profit group hopes you will find this information helpful. All proceeds from the sale of our calendar will be used to help provide education and support about breast care health for Franklin County women. With your financial support, we will help to make early diagnostic breast care testing, enhanced services and personal support available to all qualified local women. We provide free mammograms for uninsured Franklin County residents between the ages of 35-64. Since 2012, Franklin Needs, Inc. has provided 107 women with mammograms and 36 of those women went for further diagnostic testing.
Local Resources
George E. Weems Memorial Hospital
135 Avenue G, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
850-653-8853
110 NE Fifth Street, Carrabelle, Florida 32322
850-697-2345
http://www.weemsmemorial.com
Eastpoint Medical Center
35 Island Drive, Eastpoint, Florida 32328
850-670-8585
Franklin County Health Department
139 12th Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
850-653-2111
108 NE 5th Street, Carrabelle, Florida 32322
850-697-4121
Franklin County Area American Cancer Society (ACS)
2012-A Lisenby Avenue
Panama City, Florida 32405
850-785-9205
National Resources
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Information Center
1-800-ACS-2345
http://www.americancancersociety.org
National Cancer Institute
1-800-4-CANCER
TTY: 1-800-332-8615
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics
Reach to Recovery
1-800-ACS-2345
http://www.cancer.org
Y-Me
1-800-221-2141
http://www.y-me.org