Letter to the Editor: More symptoms than just lumps
I don't know anyone who is not aware of breast cancer. Most people have had someone in their life who have had cancer or even died from it. Breast Cancer Awareness month should be about about making people more aware of the many symptoms of breast cancer (much more than just a lump) and the importance of knowing your breast density. Not knowing all the symptoms (at least 12 based on the Know Your Lemons campaign) can mean that women miss the opportunity for early detection because they don't recognize that a symptom they have is potentially serious and should be reported to their doctor.
Breast density has a two-fold impact. Women with dense breasts are more likely to develop breast cancer and the irony is that the density of their breasts will make it harder for their cancer to be detected with just a mammogram. While it makes perfect sense that women should be told their breast density as part of their mammogram results, there is currently a battle being fought in Canada to make it mandatory to share that information.
Since women do not know many of the facts that would increase their chances of an early cancer detection (and therefore a better survival rate), it makes it difficult to "Take Time to Know Your Breasts During Breast Cancer Awareness Month," which was an article that appeared in the October 11th issue of the Mercury Tribune.
While great strides have been made to improve the odds of surviving a cancer diagnosis, much more can be done by simply sharing information. There should not be a need for an organization like Dense Breasts Canada to ensure that women are given the information they should be receiving as part of their mammogram results.
Here is a link to the article as it appears on the newspaper's website.
Breast density has a two-fold impact. Women with dense breasts are more likely to develop breast cancer and the irony is that the density of their breasts will make it harder for their cancer to be detected with just a mammogram. While it makes perfect sense that women should be told their breast density as part of their mammogram results, there is currently a battle being fought in Canada to make it mandatory to share that information.
Since women do not know many of the facts that would increase their chances of an early cancer detection (and therefore a better survival rate), it makes it difficult to "Take Time to Know Your Breasts During Breast Cancer Awareness Month," which was an article that appeared in the October 11th issue of the Mercury Tribune.
While great strides have been made to improve the odds of surviving a cancer diagnosis, much more can be done by simply sharing information. There should not be a need for an organization like Dense Breasts Canada to ensure that women are given the information they should be receiving as part of their mammogram results.
Here is a link to the article as it appears on the newspaper's website.