This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Exams a Must for Detecting Breast Cancer

All women should know their breasts and surrounding areas so they can be aware of changes, the American Cancer Society recommends.

Do it in the shower. Do it while getting ready for bed. Just do it once a month.
Get familiar with your breasts. Look for lumps, changes in size, shape or feel, and to see if there is any fluid.

All women should know their breasts and surrounding areas so they can be aware of changes, the American Cancer Society recommends.

“I encourage all of you to become an expert about the way your breasts look and feel so you can detect any subtle changes. After all, it’s our body, and we are the ones who have to live with whatever goes wrong with it,” said Jennie Yoon Buchanan, Medical Director of Women’s Imaging Services at Florida Hospitals.

Find out what's happening in Dunedinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It’s even more important that women in their 20s see a doctor for a Clinical Breast Exam every three years—  and once a year after turning 40. Most doctors recommend annual mammograms for women 40 and older. Higher risk men and women should see their doctors more often.

"Screening mammography every year works best for women younger than 50, who biologically have fast growing tumors that would be missed by screening every two years," Dr. Chris Flowers, director of Breast Imaging at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, wrote to Patch.

Find out what's happening in Dunedinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Many breast cancers will be found in women who never felt a lump, because on average, mammography will detect about 80 to 90 percent of the breast cancers in women without symptoms,” said Kristina Thomson, executive vice president, interim, for the American Cancer Society of New York and New Jersey.

In Florida, experts predict 15,330 new cases of breast cancer to be diagnosed this year.

"State statistics from the National Cancer Institute show that Florida is doing relatively well when compared with the rest of the United States. There has been a significant fall in the number of women dying from breast cancer in both white and Hispanic groups. In the black community, there has been a reduction in the number of deaths, but not to the same extent as in the other racial groups," Flowers wrote.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the idea is to educate women and men and to raise money for the cure. Sometimes women are afraid to go see their doctors, but this is the time to do it. Grab a friend and make appointments. 

The American Cancer Society works closely with health departments and health care systems to provide free mammograms. Call 1-800-227-2345 for more information.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?