Throughout the month of October, thousands of people show their support for breast cancer battlers and survivors. There are tons of fundraisers and everyone is decorated in ‘fight like a girl’ tee-shirts and pink ribbons.
It’s beautiful to see so many people come together to support the woman who’ve endured the tragedy of breast cancer but many of those people supporting don’t even have a minimal understanding of what who are battling breast cancer deal with, or the fear of developing it that plagues all women.
I realized that I was unaware of the risk I was at just by being a woman which leads me to link there’s probably a bunch of other people who are too. Education is key when it comes to health, so here’s some breast cancer facts and tips.
Just because it’s not in your genes, doesn’t mean you won’t get it!
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About 85 percent of all breast cancer occurs in women with no family history of the disease.
Men can get breast cancer!
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While it’s about 100 times more common in women, men are at risk too. About one in every 1,000 men are diagnosed every year.
Binge drinking is not good for the boobies!
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Alcohol increases the risk of developing breast cancer. A glass of wine or one drink a day isn’t so bad but hitting the bar and getting wasted isn’t good for you or your boobs.
Eight out of 10 lumps are discovered by women themselves!
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Feeling yourself can be more beneficial than just a confidence booster. Checking your boobs regularly allows you to get to know your body so that you’ll know immediately when something is different. However, it’s still important to visit your doctor.
Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate by race or age!
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Women diagnosed with breast cancer under 40 have a 4.5-fold increase of developing cancer again later in life. While breast cancer is most common in non-Hispanic white women, African-American women are more likely to develop the disease under 40 and die from it at any age.
Working out decreases your risk!
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Even just 30 minutes a day can be helpful. While the American Cancer Society recommends 150 minutes per week research has found that even small efforts have benefits.
For the full list or facts visit City of Hope and if you have any questions or concerns you should visit your doctor. Honestly, even if you don’t have concerns, visiting your doctor never hurts. It’s up to us women to get screened and fight breast cancer together! Imagine a world where we’ve knocked out this disease and have one less thing trying to stop us from serving girl power around the world.