Sadly, I feel the need to make a caveat statement. As we have all seen numerous times on these boards, discussion degrades itself quickly. This post is about BOOBS. Please refrain from responding and just think about it. If the need to respond is too overwhelming, please keep it MATURE and ON POINT.
Please take a moment to think about this. I have provided some links below. Men, this also applies to you. Breast cancer is not strictly a female matter, although your risks are considerably lower. Plus, you all have mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, daughters.
Some facts/stats:
- About 1 in 8 women in the United States (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
- About 39,840 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2010 from breast cancer
- Compared to African American women, white women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer, but less likely to die of it. Women of other ethnic backgrounds — Asian, Hispanic, and Native American — have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer than white women and African American women.
- A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. However, about 70-80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer.
- The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).
- Breast cancer occurs primarily in women, but men can also develop breast cancer. Although men have less breast tissue than women, they do have breast cells that can undergo cancerous changes. Male breast cancer makes up less than 1 percent of all cases of breast cancer, and is usually detected in men between 60 and 70 years of age.
- And some good news, in 2010, there were more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Website
Breast Self Exam Video
Breast Self Exam PDF
Finally, as a reminder, I suggest you all look here, print it off, laminate it, and keep it in your bathroom or give them to friends and family. You might just save someone's life!
Health & Happiness
- Iva