Central Connecticut Health District
October 12, 2004
Quiz Yourself About
Breast Cancer
It’s
National Breast Cancer Month, so why not take this true/false quiz to see how
much you know about this disease?
1.
If
you find a lump in your breast, it means you have breast cancer.
2.
Men
can get breast cancer.
3.
If
you have a family history of breast cancer, you will also get the disease.
4.
It
is possible to catch breast cancer from another person.
5.
The
radiation from a mammography can cause breast cancer to spread.
The
answer to the first question is false.
Most lumps (80%) are not cancerous, but if a lump is discovered, a
physician should be consulted immediately to make this determination.
The
truth about question number 2 (true) may surprise you. While it is a fact that the majority of cases
of breast cancer occur in women (211,000 expected cases this year), about 1,600
men will also be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. Both men and women should give themselves
monthly breast examinations and call a doctor if any irregularities are found.
Although
it is true having a family history of breast cancer places women at a greater
risk for developing this disease, the majority of women diagnosed with breast
cancer have no known family history. The answer is false. That is why annual mammography is recommended
for women over 40 years old, and earlier for certain high risk groups.
The
answer to question number 4 is false.
Breast cancer is not a communicable disease.
While
some people are afraid of the radiation transmitted during mammography, the
fear is groundless. Neither the x-ray
nor the machine causes cancer to spread, so the answer is false.
If
you knew all of the above answers, you have been paying attention. For the past 20 years, National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month has continued its mission to educate the public about early
detection, diagnosis, and treatment for this disease. During the month of October, pink ribbons are
worn to honor the survivors, remember those who have been killed by breast
cancer, and to support research for the cure.
During
2004, it is expected 40,200 people will die from breast cancer. Over 211,000 new cases will be
diagnosed. Breast cancer remains the
leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55, but if found early,
the five-year survival rate is 96%.
The
good news is that over 2 million people have survived breast cancer and are
alive in the
To
encourage women to make mammography a routine part of their health regimen,
each year the 3rd Friday of October is designated National
Mammography Day. Many radiologists
provide free or low cost mammograms on this day as an incentive for women. Information about participating radiologists
is available by contacting the National Cancer Institute at 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237). In addition to the
free and discounted mammograms given on National Mammography Day, throughout
the year, low cost or free mammography is available to women who are over 40
and are uninsured or underinsured. The
Centers for Disease Control can be contacted at 1-888-842-6355 (or on line at www.cdc.gov) for more information about this
program.
There are a number of good sources to obtain further information about the various aspects of breast cancer, including diagnosis and treatment, research, physiology, and prevention. Some of these include the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. at www.nationalbreastcancer.org, the American Cancer Society (1-800-227-2345) at www.cancer.org, and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month at www.nbcam.org (1-312-596-3557.) For additional information about this or other health issues, contact the Central Connecticut Health District at 860-721-2822 (www.ccthd.org).