Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Here is What You Need to Know
Posted October 5th, 2018 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Legal Topics.
The statistics of breast cancer are alarming. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 7,587 report cases of breast cancer in New Jersey in 2015. It is the second leading cause of death in the United States – in New Jersey, 1,272 women had died of breast cancer in 2015. Cancer affects everyone, no matter what race or sex they are. And it needs to be stopped.
Every year in October, individuals, businesses, and charities across the U.S. band together to raise awareness and funding to battle this terrible disease. The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone is taking a moment to bring awareness of breast cancer to the readers of this blog.
Breast Cancer: What You Should Know
The symptoms of breast cancer are different for everyone. Some people may not even have any signs of the disease.
According to the CDC, some of the most common signs include:
- Lumps that have formed in either the breast or in the armpit
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
- Irritation, redness or dimpling of breast skin
- Pain in any area of the nipple or breast
- Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)
- A change in the breast’s size or shape
It’s important to note that not all lumps are cancerous – it could be a cyst.
Your risk of cancer is due to multiple factors, such as your age, any genetic mutations, your family history, or previous treatment for cancer.
Mammograms Are Key
You may have heard negative stories about mammograms. But the fact is they save lives. Getting screened on a regular basis is essential for finding breast cancer early, making it easier to treat.
There are downsides as well, such as false positive or negative test results. The American Cancer Society does stress that mammograms can find breast cancers that may be too small to be felt. By discovering the tumor at such an early age, it can prevent the disease from spreading quickly throughout your body.
Men Get Breast Cancer Too
Breast cancer is often considered a women’s disease – yet men can quickly get it as well. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 480 men will die from breast cancer in 2018. The lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 833.
Risk factors for male breast cancer include:
- Aging
- Family history
- Gene mutations
- Klinefelter syndrome – a congenital condition where the man has a Y chromosome plus two or more X chromosomes
- Exposure to radiation
- Alcohol
- Estrogen treatment
- Liver disease
- Obesity
Unfortunately, early detection is generally an issue with men since they don’t notice a lump or won’t visit the doctor until the bump has become rather large. With a delay in discovery, men are more likely have a diagnosis of an advanced stage of breast cancer than women.
Need Legal Help? Contact Us
The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone hopes everyone takes these statistics to heart and gets checked for cancer, especially if you believe something may be wrong. In the meantime, if you have a legal issue that needs resolving, we are here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
