Former NFL
star raises awareness of breast cancer
in men
A closer look
The female breast contains lobes, which are made up of smaller sacs called lobules, in which milk is produced. Thin tubes called ducts carry the milk from the lobules to the nipple when a woman is breastfeeding. The breast also contains vessels that carry clear fluid, or lymph, to small, round organs called lymph nodes.
Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules. Inflammatory breast
cancer infiltrates the lymph vessels, causing noticeable changes to the breast.
When breast cancer spreads, it travels through the lymph nodes to other
organs — usually the bones, liver, lungs and brain.
Initiative to eliminate cancer disparities
A risk factor is a characteristic that increases a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer. Having one or more risk factors is not a guarantee that you will get the disease. In fact, many women with multiple risk factors never get breast cancer. However, having no identifiable risk factor other than gender or age does not make a women immune to breast cancer.
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Race Matters |
Although the incidence of breast cancer is lower in black women than in white women, between 2004 and 2008, the death rate in blacks exceeded that of all ethnicities.
The age-adjusted rates are per 100,000 women |
Celebrating 10 years of serving the women of Boston |
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The Dana-Farber Mammography Van comes to your neighborhood.
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DANA-FARBER/HARVARD
All Programs are open to the public. |
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Breast cancer
screening
101
Cancer screening is recommended for women without breast symptoms. Screening can often detect tumors before they spread, which increases the probability of successful treatment. The Affordable Care Act mandates mammograms at no cost.
- Have clinical breast exams — exams by a health professional — at least once every three years starting in your 20s and 30s.
- Become familiar with how your breasts normally feel so you can detect changes.
- Initiate yearly mammograms and clinical breast exams at the age of 40.
- Get a yearly MRI as well as mammogram if you are at very high risk for breast cancer.
- Establish a screening schedule with your doctor that accommodates your personal risk. Some people may start screening before the age of 40.
Source: American Cancer Society
National Minority Health Month
Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules. Inflammatory breast
cancer infiltrates the lymph vessels, causing noticeable changes to the breast.
A personal
experience with IBC
Courtesy of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
April 16-21 is National Minority Cancer Awareness Week |
Early detection still key to beating the odds
Ellvera Nusum, 56, had her routine down pat. She religiously underwent yearly mammograms and checked her breasts monthly for any changes. She even timed her self-exams correctly — a few days after her period — when her hormone level was lower.
After all, she was always taught that breast cancer begins with a lump. The fact that both her maternal grandmother and aunt were diagnosed at a young age and eventually died of breast cancer kept her vigilant. More
Breast cancer in men
Ernie Green, 73, was a force to be reckoned with on the football field. He played seven seasons for the Cleveland Browns, and has two Pro Bowl appearances under his belt.
But seven years ago he had to reckon with a force that had nothing to do with football — breast cancer. He now has a clean bill of health but that was after surgery, eight rounds of chemotherapy and several years of tamoxifen to decrease the risk of recurrence. More
Myths about Mammograms
Quite likely, you’ve heard a lot about these breast X-rays, which may detect cancer long before it can be seen or felt. Just as likely, only part of what you’ve heard is true. More