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Awareness helps to slow rates of breast cancer

Once again this year, October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This nationwide initiative, created by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, is intended to bring awareness and support to those women and men (who, albeit rare, also can contract the disease) impacted by breast cancer.

This year, about 40,920 U.S. women are expected to die from breast cancer, according to breastcancer.org.

About one in eight U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Experts predict that 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year.

These statistics are frightening, and there are many more like them.

But the good news is the number of cases is declining.

In fact, breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. began decreasing in 2000 — after climbing the previous two decades.

Some believe the decline stemmed from reduced use of hormone replacement therapy after results of a large study were published in 2002 suggesting a connection between HRT and an increased breast cancer risk.

But that’s not the only theory for the decline.

Others attribute the declining numbers to more research, education and awareness that has led to earlier detection.

We urge women to get their regular breast cancer screenings. Most experts recommend screenings for all women beginning at age 40. Individuals with a higher risk of the disease may need to be screened earlier and more often, experts say.

We urge you to talk to your doctor about his or her recommendations for your breast cancer screenings.

There is no doubt that this disease can be deadly. But it also is very survivable if caught early enough.

More information about symptoms and risk factors is available at the American Cancer Society’s guide: www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/ detailedguide/breast-cancer-what-is-breast-cancer.

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