| ancer is the most common cancer among women. | | | | ways for women to protect themselves. |
| Usually, the body creates healthy, normal cells, but if | | | | The breast cancer test I’m referring to is of |
| a cell changes into an abnormal, harmful form, it can | | | | course your basic mammogram. Unpleasant, |
| divide quickly and making many copies of itsel, a | | | | uncomfortable, and only a few steps away from |
| tumor, abnormal body cells form a lump. | | | | medieval torture, it is the most effective affordable |
| If you are a woman and live an otherwise full and | | | | breast cancer test available. Waiting for symptoms to |
| healthy life, there is about a 15% chance you’ll | | | | develop before getting treatment is a bad idea, as |
| develop breast cancer by the age of 90. That may | | | | symptoms don’t usually become clear until the |
| not sound like a lot, but as far as cancer risks go | | | | cancer is already in its later stages of growth. In |
| that’s one of the highest out there. The best | | | | these later stages, it is harder to treat, and it is much |
| thing you can do to lower that risk is to frequently | | | | more likely to have spread throughout the body. So |
| go in for a breast cancer test. | | | | mammograms may be unpleasant, but terminal |
| Risk factors to get breast cancer: genetic makeup or | | | | cancer is definitely worse. |
| internal environments, hormones, illnesses, and | | | | It’s also important to develop some breast |
| feelings and thoughts. The external the food, water, | | | | cancer tests of your own, that you can do on a |
| air, smoking, and medicines, home, workplace. | | | | regular basis in between mammograms. As soon as |
| The 15% likelihood of developing breast cancer is | | | | you hit puberty, it’s a good idea to conduct |
| slightly skewed in that you are actually much more | | | | self breast cancer tests as this begins the period |
| likely to get it if there is a history of such cancer in | | | | where your chances of getting breast cancer begin. |
| your family, and significantly less likely to develop it if | | | | Most cases of breast cancer are in women over 40, |
| there isn’t. This is good news if you | | | | but there are a number of cases found in girls as |
| don’t have any one in your immediate family | | | | young as early teens every year. Also, most people |
| that had breast cancer, but unfortunately many | | | | don’t realize that breast cancer can also occur |
| families do have such a history. With or without a | | | | in men! While it’s limited to about one percent |
| family history, you still need to stay vigilant and go in | | | | of the total cases, there are still more men than |
| for breast cancer tests regularly. | | | | you’d think that are diagnosed with breast |
| Regular mammograms with self-exams are the best | | | | cancer each year. |