Page 120 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2019

HEALTHY LIVING be vigilant THINK
PINK
story by Lisa Toye Kaufman photo by Connor McIntosh
October is breast cancer awareness month, an annual campaign to increase mindfulness of the disease and reduce the stigma of breast cancer through education about symptoms and treatment.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) website, breast cancer occurs mostly in women; however,
men contract the disease. Males have breast tissue, so they can acquire breast cancer.
Dr. Lisa Smith, radiologist with specialty fellowship training in
breast imaging of Gulf Coast Imaging Radiology says, “Men often present at a more advanced stage than women owing to a delay in
diagnosis.”
The ACS website states,
breast cancer is the
most common cancer
in American women,
except for skin cancers. Heartbreakingly, a
woman in the United
States has a one in eight
chance of developing
breast cancer. While there
is insufficient knowledge about the causes of breast cancer, this type of cancer is always triggered by damage to a cell’s DNA.
“Mammogram is the gold standard for early detection of breast cancer, and research shows that mammograms save lives,” says Dr. Smith. “Mammogram
is recommended by the American College of Radiology in every woman starting at the age of 40 years old,
and they recommend annual, routine
mammogram screening.”
The ACS website expresses, genetics,
aging and being a woman are unalterable risk factors associated with breast cancer. Risk factors that can
be changed include lack of exercise, excessive weight, smoking cigarettes and eating unhealthy foods. By choosing the healthiest lifestyle options conceivable, the risk of developing breast cancer can be reduced.
Symptoms of this kind of cancer include a palpable lump in the breast or armpit area, discharge from the nipple and changes in the shape or texture of the nipple or breast.
When someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, a cancer care team discusses treatment
options. People with the disease often get more than one kind of treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy and radiation therapy.
People need to be vigilant about breast cancer detection and ask a physician when to begin mammograms and other screenings based on personal history. If a person notices any changes in the breasts, the individual should consult a doctor.
120 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • October 2019
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Real Men Wear Pink is determined to support the American Cancer Society’s mission to save as many lives as possible from breast cancer and puts men in leadership roles in the fight against this kind of cancer. Community leaders from all over the nation use the muscle of pink to raise awareness and money for the organization’s breast cancer initiatives including innovative research, patient services and education about screenings and risk reduction.
Real Men Wear Pink Gulf Coast
www.realmenwearpinkacs.org/ gulfcoastms