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In 1993 President Bill Clinton proclaimed the 3rd Friday of each October as National Mammography Day.
This October 16th is a day for women to make themselves aware of mammography recommendations, get an exam, and spread the word.
Breast cancer, aside from skin cancer, is the most common cancer that affects women.
According to the American Cancer Society an estimated 192,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer was expected to be diagnosed among women in 2008. They also estimate that another 40,000 women will die from breast cancer in 2009.
Those numbers are alarming, especially since If detected early enough through self/clinical exams and mammography, most types of breast cancer can be treated.
Please schedule your mammogram today, if you have not already done so, and make sure you receive one on a regular basis if you are over the age of 40, have a family history of breast cancer, or have a prior history of radiation treatment.
If you under the age of 40 please remember to perform monthly self breast exams and visit your health care professional at least every 3 years for a clinical breast exam.
To learn more about the mammography process and exactly who is at risk, please visit the American Cancer Society's website.
If you do not have insurance, there are programs available that offer free or low cost mammograms. For information on California programs please call the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program at 1 (800) 511-2300 or visit their website.
Help others receive free mammograms!
Did you know that The Breast Cancer Site has a click-a-day program? You click once a day, they receive financial support from sponsors and they donate 100% of the sponsor funds to charity to provide free mammograms.
If you have a blog or website, you can also add their button for others to click and spread the word.
Breast cancer is real and can happen to anyone at any time. Please schedule your mammogram appointment today, donate to a cause that supports free or low-income mammograms, or spread the word.
Comments
Ah, the wonderful self-exam. I have to admit it's difficult for me to do. I guess I don't "get" the anatomy of my breasts... it feels like everything's a bump. I've been lucky enough to have been "clean" on each doctor's exam. There are so many people effected by this. Thanks for writing this!
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