Last Thursday, Julia Louis-Dreyfus revealed her breast cancer diagnosis to the public.
This past summer, a close family friend of mine began her lifelong battle with the same disease.
Even in a show I just finished watching, “The Bold Type,” an entire episode was dedicated to nipples, chests, monthly-check-ups and, of course, breast cancer itself.
Now it’s October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and all I can think about are bright pink ribbons and one day – possibly – finding a lump on my chest.
It seems that as I grow older, the world fills more and more with the threat of a condition I do not even understand; a fear of something I’ve known of before I was even young enough to have breasts of my own. Mastectomies, augmentations, chemotherapy, surgery. So many words, all so technical and formulaic; how can I expect anyone to actually facing this monster of a disease, to manage all this terminology, when it scares me, a virtually safe and healthy woman?
I remember my mom always telling me that diet soda and fake sweeteners cause cancer. So does the black crust on burnt marshmallows and staying out in the sun too long. I used to buy pink tennis balls, in support of breast cancer awareness, simply because I thought the color was cute. I was young then, but my knowledge is still similarly limited. These small slices of information are all I know, and that worries me now as my world seems to be surrounded by something I can’t seem to control. I want to help others, spread the word and protect myself, if that’s even possible.
Photo Courtesty of @OfficialJLD on Twitter
As Julia Louis-Dreyfus pointed out, 1 in 8 women in the United States will suffer from breast cancer during her lifetime. When I was in middle school, I wandered through the hallways with a tight-knit group of seven other friends. Now I think to myself, which one of us will it be?
Is there anyway to know who it could be? Or who is at the greatest risk? According to breastcancer.org, it is estimated that only 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are inherited. The cases that are genetically related are mostly linked to BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. When the mutation occurs, the risk of breast cancer development increases up to 65%, depending on the gene, and can often begin to appear earlier on in a woman’s life.
Beyond genetics, the website also lists basic healthy choices – such as exercising, refraining from smoking and drinking, maintaining a clean diet, sleeping enough – as ways to reduce your risk for developing the disease. Beyond that, the jury is still out on many specific linkages between our daily actions and the growths that might appear in our bodies.
Of course, while eating habits and sleep schedules are things we can control, there are risk factors that are unavoidable. The most known in fact is being a woman. Only 1 in 1,000 men will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. This statistic bring me back to my high school, which had roughly 3,000 students, which half of were male. I wonder again, who will be the one or two men that walked through the same hallways as me that will contract this disease? I wish again that there was someway to know, to tell, to help.
But biologically, sex isn’t the only risk factor. Age is another; two-thirds of breast cancer diagnoses come from women over the age of 55. Race and ethnicity are also known to play a role – white women have a higher chance of developing breast cancer throughout their lifetime, but African American women are more likely to develop “a more aggressive, advanced stage” form of the disease when they are younger. Even things like menstrual and pregnancy history are known to play a role in the risk for breast cancer. Since research is still developing, there are countless other possible factors, many of which you can check out here. But at the same time, there are many myths – such as that deodorants or drinking milk can cause cancer – about potential risks that are supported by inconclusive, or even nonexistent, evidence, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Photo Courtesy of Pexels
If you or someone you know are attempting to deal with a breast cancer diagnosis, breastcancer.org and the National Breast Cancer Foundation website have many resources to help inform you and help you throughout the process. I am no expert on any disease, especially one as complicated as this one, but I do find that for me, knowledge has brought both comfort and a sense that I have some semblance of control. It’s important to be aware of possible conditions that threaten our lives as young women, and to do what we can to make sure we and anyone we care about is as protected as possible, whether it be by performing monthly breast exams or simply aiming to have healthier lifestyle. And hopefully one day, we will no longer have to wear pink ribbons to spread awareness for a disease that hurts so many in this world. But until then, here’s to fighting.
All facts and statistics from http://www.breastcancer.org/ and www.nationalbreastcancer.org
Cover Photo Courtesy of Pixabay