It’s Breast Cancer (BC) Awareness Month and everyone’s talking about it. And rightfully so. Of all cancers, breast cancer has the highest incidence rate (the most new cases) and the 2nd highest death rate. It’s also predicted to be the cause of death for roughly 43,000 US citizens in 2020 alone. I’m not saying these rates to scare you, but to let you know that BC is very common and serious, but it is definitely treatable especially when detected early.

Out of all the BC info you’re bombarded with this month, what do you really need to know ladies? Well, mainly that:

Black women are more impacted by BC. Why? Because Black women are often younger when diagnosed, more likely to develop more aggressive types of BC, and are more likely to have their cancer found later compared to White women. Why found later? Often due to barriers to care: not screened as often and lack of access to breast cancer services.

Start getting your mammogram by 40 years of age OR if you have a family history, by 10 years before the age of the earliest diagnosis in your family. So for example, if your mom was diagnosed with BC at 40 and your sister was diagnosed with BC at 36, your sister is the youngest diagnosed. You should start getting mammograms 10 years before her diagnosis age, which would be 26 in this example. Most women get their mammograms done yearly. Some once every 2 years. Talk with your doctor to decide what timeline is best for you. Most of my community is younger than 40, so if you’re reading this and are younger, check on the women in your family to make sure they are keeping up with their mammograms. Cancer can often be silent and hard to notice. Once noticeable to the hands and eyes, it’s often late, which can result in later staging.

If it’s your time for a mammogram, go ahead and get it EVEN DURING COVID. Yes, we are in the middle of a pandemic. Yes, this COVID pandemic sucks, but women can still get mammograms and breast cancer services right now during COVID at most hospitals and clinics. Cancer won’t wait for this pandemic to end, so you shouldn’t either.

Differences are key. If anything seems off or different lately, get checked out. One boob all of a sudden feels firmer than the other. Your pores look larger. Your nipple looks different. See a doctor. It’s always better safe than sorry. Check out this cool lemon infographic for some examples of differences you could expect.

Cancer found early is better than cancer found late. Cancer diagnosed early is often easier to treat, cheaper to treat, and less taxing on the body. Delaying things when you already feel like something is wrong will likely make things worse in the long run, not magical go away over time. As you wait, cancer can progress.

Hope you find this post informative! Feel free to share it with the women you love! Mom, granny, aunties included! If you have any questions on this information, feel free to comment. If you have any specific problems you or a family member are experiencing, I suggest talking with your Primary Care Physician or a BC doctor.

Wishing you the best state of health!

Margaret Nicole