Breast cancer gets a lot of attention. Every October, football teams sport pink helmets, fundraiser walks spring up in parks, and millions don t-shirts with pun-filled, often sexualized phrases highlighting the disease. Back in 2014, Kate Moss even modeled pink lingerie in a breast cancer awareness campaign. To put it simply, everyone is well-aware of breast cancer – but, as a culture, we’re less rigorous about prevention. An Ounce Of Prevention As the old saying goes, with breast cancer, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That means that changing the conditions that cause breast cancer, detecting major risk factors, and identifying breast cancer cases before the disease can spread is critical, because once cancer advances, it’s much harder to treat. Breast cancer that’s detected early on, though, can be quite treatable, and there are a few simple steps patients and doctors can take in the name of early identification. Mammograms And Self-Exams The two most important tools in early breast cancer detection are mammograms (a form of imaging that can identify abnormalities in the breast tissue) and manual breast exams, ideally self-exams performed monthly at home. Unfortunately, many women neglect self-exams and there’s significant medical debate over when and how often women should receive mammograms.  At present, it’s generally accepted that all women should receive an annual breast exam from a doctor if they don’t perform them at home. As for mammograms, most doctors recommend women begin receiving annual mammograms at age 40.   Know The Signs Testing goes a long way in identifying breast cancer for those receiving regular medical care, but many people won’t go to the doctor unless they already think something is wrong. When it comes to breast cancer, though, early signs can be quite subtle. Women should be on the lookout for […]