Vim & Vigor - Fall 2018 - Parrish Medical Center - 51

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recommends you schedule the procedure one week after your period, when
your breasts are least tender.
If you feel pain, speak up. The technologist may be able to lower the
compression and relieve some of the
pressure on your breast.
And remember that any discomfort is
brief: The actual X-ray takes less than
a minute.

Myth 3:

"I just don't have time."

You don't have half an hour, once a year?
From start to finish, a basic screening
mammogram lasts about 15 to 20 minutes. A more in-depth diagnostic mammogram, which takes images from more
angles, runs 30 to 45 minutes.
If that still sounds like too much time,
think about this: Several large studies
conducted around the world show that
mammograms help reduce the number
of deaths from breast cancer for women
ages 40 to 69, especially those older
than 50.

And then think about this: How much
time will it take to fight breast cancer
once it has spread through your body?
A lot more than half an hour.

Myth 4:

"Breast cancer only
affects older women."

Breast cancer can occur at any age. Up
to age 39, 1 in 231 women, or less than
5 percent, will get breast cancer; from
ages 40 to 59, the risk is 4 percent; from
ages 60 to 79, the risk is 1 in 15 women,
or nearly 7 percent.

Myth 5:

"Using antiperspirants
causes breast cancer."

"I've never seen any evidence to show
this," says Jackie Miller, MD, a medical
officer with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Neither the
active ingredient in antiperspirants nor
a reduction in underarm perspiration
has been shown to affect breast
cancer risk.

Ask a Breast Cancer
Expert Near You
Have questions about breast conditions, examinations and tests?
Parrish Cancer Center certified
patient navigator Shannon Luker
is here to help. Reach her at
321-268-6111, ext. 3544.
Myth 6:

"I'm at high risk for
breast cancer, and I can't
do anything about it."

Women at high risk can reduce, although
not eliminate, their chances of getting the
disease. These include lifestyle changes
(stopping smoking, exercising regularly),
medication and, in some cases, a preemptive mastectomy. "There are chemopreventive medications shown to be
somewhat effective for high-risk women,"
says Dr. Miller, who also recommends
annual MRIs along with mammograms. ■

Here's Another Myth:

'BREAST CANCER ONLY
AFFECTS WOMEN'
Most of the people you see sporting pink ribbons as a show of support for
breast cancer care awareness are probably women-but it is a disease that
affects men and children profoundly, as well. Though it is rare, men can
develop breast cancer. But many men and children are affected through
their support of the women they love. Here are some resources for families
who are battling the disease on behalf of their wives, daughters, mothers
and sisters:
3 Men Against Breast Cancer (menagainstbreastcancer.org) is the first
national nonprofit organization to empower men as caregivers and participants in the fight against breast cancer.
3 Mom and the Polka-Dot Boo-Boo, a publication of the American Cancer
Society (ACS), is a book for children ages 2 to 5 to help them understand
breast cancer. It is available at the ACS bookstore (search the title at
acs.bookstore.ipgbook.com).
3 Couples Confronting Cancer, published by the American Cancer Society,
helps couples keep their relationships strong as they battle cancer. It is available
at the ACS bookstore (search the title at acs.bookstore.ipgbook.com).
FALL 2018

http://www.menagainstbreastcancer.org http://acs.bookstore.ipgbook.com http://acs.bookstore.ipgbook.com

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