One in eight women will contract it and one woman every 13 minutes dies from it.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and those are grim statistics concerning the most common cancer among women. For this reason, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District hosted a Breast Cancer Awareness Lunch and Learn on Oct. 23, 2019 in the second floor conference room in Mobile, Ala.
Dr. Teja Poosarla, Medical Oncologist, and Susan Crutchfield, Community and Physician Outreach Manager, for the Mitchell Cancer Institute, gave employees the latest education on topics such as Breast Cancer screening guidelines, risk factors, the workup process and myths surrounding breast cancer.
Found early, It can be Beaten
“Creating awareness about the importance of early detection could one day result in someone beating their breast cancer if they were to develop the disease,” Crutchfield said. “Anything we can do to find breast cancers at an earlier stage and to diminish risk is time well spent.”
Heather Limerick, nurse with the SAD Regional Occupational Health Center, said it is important for everyone, including men, to know the risks, dangers and diagnosis of breast cancer.
Men are Victims too
“The Regional Occupational Health Office would like everyone to know that one in eight women will be diagnosed in their lifetime,” Limerick said. “On average, every two minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast and one woman will die from breast cancer every 13 minutes. In 2019, about 2,670 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. The good news is breast cancer survival rates are increasing due to early detection and increased awareness.”
One of the key items stressed during the luncheon is that the earlier breast cancer is detected the greater the chances are for survival. For this reason, breast cancer screenings and mammograms are suggested for women. At age 40 women should start getting an annual mammogram.
Rosario Swafford, Security and Law Enforcement assistant, said the information she obtained at the luncheon was important. “
“I have had many friends with mothers or they themselves fight this particular cancer,” said Swafford. “As a mom and wife I make the appointments for my family to get screened or have physicals. I need to schedule my own exam. I have been putting it off. The odds of early detection and survival rate is greater if I were to be diagnosed.”
Knowledge is Power
Crutchfield said she hopes everyone walks away with an understanding about breast cancer.
“If found early most breast cancers are curable,” Crutchfield said. “We are continuing to make advancements every day in treatment. Don’t feel defeated if you develop a breast mass. Seek the most advanced treatment available to you and educate yourself about the resources in your area.”