Colorado News Connection
| October 19, 2017 | Available files: mp3 wav jpg |
Eric Galatas
DENVER - Think Pink events are a reminder that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while pink is a color synonymous with girls, breast cancer doesn't discriminate by gender.
About 2,500 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. this year, along with 250,000 women.
Lynn Erdman, CEO of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, encourages both women and men to be aware of changes in their bodies.
While breast self-exams aren't always the answer to detecting cancer early, she says they can help detect changes.
"It may be changes in skin coloring, it could be a dimpling, it could be a lump that forms," she explains. "It could be a number of different changes.
"Then, it's important to have a follow-up, to see what are the next steps for determining whether you have a problem."
Erdman says both women and men should be screened for breast cancer if they suspect a problem, and mammograms are the standard imaging resource.
The risk of breast cancer among women increases with age, and Erdman encourages women to determine whether screenings annually or every other year are what's best.
Thanks to advances in treatment and earlier detection about 95 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer live five years or more.
Heredity is a risk factor, although Erdman says about 85 percent of women who are diagnosed don't have breast cancer in their family history.
Either way, she says, it's important information.
"If you have a first-degree relative that has had breast cancer, whether it's a man or a woman, you should know that and share it with your health care provider, as they are trying to help you determine how often you should be screened," she stresses.
Having your first pregnancy after age 30, being obese after menopause, using birth control pills and hormone therapy are among the risk factors for women.
Risk factors for men include liver disease, estrogen treatment and testicular conditions.