With us being in the middle of October, I thought it important to at least talk a little about Breast Cancer Awareness and the great way Aflac is helping aid the cause for research. Having had a scare of my own a few years back and witnessing a few women around me being diagnosed, I think it’s important to continue to bring awareness to breast cancer. When I was younger I used to believe that you had to be a certain age to even get breast cancer, or that you would only get breast cancer if it ran in your close family, and that’s just not true. I’ve seen women very young who were diagnosed and had a high school friend battle it and beat it several years back in her twenties.
In my early twenties I remember feeling a small lump in my breast about the size of a half dollar. My doctor told me then that since it didn’t run in my family and because of my young age, I shouldn’t worry too much, so I didn’t. However, a few years ago, I began to notice a HUGE mass in that same breast that seemed to grow. Being in the medical field and having seen different cases in different women, I decided to go ahead and have it checked. It was stressful, and although I didn’t feel like it was cancer, it was unsettling enough that I knew I would only have some peace if I had a mammogram done. Thankfully, the mass I had was not cancerous. I do have to come in every year to check but so far I’m clear, and consider myself very fortunate.
Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women, with skin cancer being the first. It’s not as rare as one may believe with about 1 in 8 women born in the US today predicted to develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. Did you know that there are 231,340 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the US every year? That is a lot in my opinion.
Aflac has recently introduced the One Day PaySM initiative, which allows Aflac to process, approve and pay eligible claims in just a day.
We’ve been long time customers of Aflac. It excites me to see how they are supporting the cause this Breast Cancer Awareness Month by partnering with the AACR again for its second annual “This Duck Wears Pink” campaign. Aflac is selling a variety of campaign-related merchandise including the plush duck, hats and a breast cancer ribbon pin, with all of the net proceeds going to the AACR for the specific purpose of funding research aimed at finding a cure for breast cancer.
If you would like to donate you can shop for merchandise here.
There are a lot of people, including myself, who aren’t aware of is the costs of breast cancer treatment. Breast cancer patients with employer-sponsored health insurance spend well over $6,000 out-of-pocket for treatment. All of these are why early detection is key! When breast cancer is detected early, breast cancer survival rates are as high as 99%.
The American Cancer Society recommends the following for early breast cancer detection in women without breast symptoms:
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Women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.
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Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a periodic (regular) health exam by a health professional preferably every 3 years.
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Breast self-exam (BSE) is also an option for women starting in their 20s.
Are you or someone you know a breast cancer survivor? What steps do you take in early detection if any?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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