Yesterday we learned that Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, has a reoccurrence of her breast cancer that was announced just after the last presidential election.
While they thought after her treatment that her condition was cured, her cancer has now spread to her rib, the bones being one of the most common sites for this type of cancer to spread, and once in the bone, it is considered incurable. It is treatable, however, and both John and Elizabeth stress that it will be treated and I wish both of them the best, and strength, as they go through this.
They also both affirm that the campaign should and will go on.
Last week I did my PSA on Colon health, so today I will address breast cancer. Some of this information comes from a course I am taking, and some comes from the CDC web site.
Breast cancer is the MOST common cancer in women.
It is the second most common cause of death from cancer among women (lung cancer is the first).
In 2003, 181,646 women developed breast cancer and 41,619 died from it.
Men can develop breast cancer also. In 2003 1,826 men developed breast cancer and 379 men died from it.
2003 is the most recent year for which numbers are available.
Risk factors include:
Getting older
Having your first menstrual cycle at a younger age.
Starting menopause at an older age.
Being older at the birth of your first child.
Never giving birth.
Not breastfeeding.
Personal history of breast disease.
Family history of breast cancer.
Treatment with radiation to the breast/chest.
Long term use of hormone therapy.
Having changes in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.
Using birth control pills.
Drinking alcohol (more than one drink a day).
Not getting regular exercise.
Just as colonoscopies and eating right reduce your risk of colon cancer, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Control your weight, and exercise.
Know your family history of breast cancer.
Find out the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy, and birth control pills.
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
Get screened regularly. Screening includes self exams and clinical exams and mammograms. Mammograms are by far the most effective screening tool to reduce incidence and death from breast cancer.
For more information visit http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/, or
http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/patient/, or
http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm
50 miles per hour. That is the new speed limit on downtown Birmingham’s interstates, ordered by Governor Riley. Will the drivers slow down from 75, uh, I mean 60, the current speed limit. Auto drivers are having to change their behavior because trucks can not secure their loads.
Auburn News:
The previously mentioned Auburn Tiger women’s basketball team moved a step closer to the NIT title by beating Virginia Tech yesterday.
Also, a big welcome to Jay Gouge as the 18th president of Auburn University. It’s interesting to have someone whose background, including a bachelor’s and master’s from Auburn, and a PhD from Michigan State, is in horticulture! I bet it was those flower beds that decorate the corners of the football stadium that attracted him.
1 comment:
Good post, timely reminder. I think women in the USA are routinely scanned more often than in the UK (every 3 years after age 50)- the squeamish bit of me is glad as it's jolly painful!
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