Prevention

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in life. While there is no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer, every woman can take steps to lower her risk:

• Make screening your routine: Do monthly self-breast exams, get yearly clinical breast exams, and if over 40, yearly mammograms. To schedule a mammogram, call 322-PINK.
• Watch your weight: Obesity increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, as does weight gain during adulthood.
• Keep moving: Studies show that regular physical activity reduces the risk of breast cancer. Exercise 45-60 minutes for five or more days each week.
• Think before you drink: Alcohol is consistently associated with increased breast cancer risk. Studies show that two drinks a day may increase breast cancer risk.
• Discuss lifestyle choices with your health care provider: If you’re considering the use of hormone replacement therapy, discuss the risks and benefits with your health care provider.

Risk

The cause of breast cancer has not been determined, but there are certain factors that increase your risk for breast cancer. Some risk factors you cannot control. Having one of these risk factors does not mean you will get breast cancer. The following are risk factors you cannot control:

• Age: Your risk increases as you age.
• Gender: Women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men.
• Family History: If there's a close relative that has breast, uterine, ovarian or colon cancer, you are at a higher risk for breast cancer. About 20 to 30 percent of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.
• Genes: Genetics can make women more prone to developing breast cancer. If the gene is passed on from a parent to you, then your risk for breast cancer increases.
• Menstrual Cycle: Women who reach puberty before age 12 or go through menopause after age 55 have an increased risk for breast cancer.

Not all risk factors for breast cancer are beyond your control. Here are risk factors that you can control:

• Childbirth: Women who never have children or who have them after age 30 have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being pregnant more that once or at an early age reduces your risk of breast cancer.
• Obesity: The link between obesity and breast cancer is controversial, but the theory is that obese women produce more estrogen, which can fuel the development of breast cancer.
• Radiation: Receiving radiation therapy in the chest area as a child or young adult can increase the risk of breast cancer.
• Alcohol Use: If you drink more than one to two glasses of alcohol a day, it may increase your risk for breast cancer.

There is no evidence of a direct link between breast cancer and pesticides. Using antiperspirants, wearing underwire bras or having breast implants does not raise your risk for breast cancer.

Mammography

Digital Mammography
Clearer, state-of-the-art images of the breast mean better diagnosis and better treatment. According to the National Cancer Institute, as a screening measure, digital mammography detects 15 - 28% more breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue or who are younger than age 50.

Digital mammography provides enhanced visual detail of any breast type including augmented breasts. It also reduces the procedure time by as much as 50%, when compared to conventional mammography and eliminates the use of nipple markers which cause some discomfort post procedure.

When it comes to diagnosing breast cancer, early detection is the key for the best outcome. Getting your mammogram at the Avera Breast Center means access to:

• THE BEST VIEW: Our full-field digital mammography provides a more enhanced and detailed image of the breast for greater effectiveness at early detection.
• THE BEST IN COMFORT: The gentle cushion of the MammoPad™ provides a softer, warmer point of contact between you and the mammography unit.
• THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY: Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) and breast MRI utilizing advanced 3 Tesla MRI provides the clearest possible images available through today’s technology, when additional testing is needed.
• THE AVERA SYSTEM OF STRENGTH: The Avera Breast Center is just one aspect of Avera’s commitment to women’s health issues. Choosing care at the Avera Breast Center means you become part of our comprehensive system of strength, compassion and healing.

Survivors

Meet the 2009-2010 Honorary Co-Chairs
Together, as one united group with a mission to encourage women to schedule regular breast exams and share their personal story of survival, our Honorary Co-Chairs have become the faces of breast cancer -- an example that humanizes the disease in order to raise awareness.

Congratulations to the following nine ladies on being chosen to be an Honorary Co-Chair! These breast cancer survivors wanted to share their feelings about living after cancer, treatment and the support that friends and family provide.

Resources

Avera McKennan Newsroom

• LuAnn's Story: A Breast Cancer Survivor Shares her Experience
• Grandmother, Mother and Daughter Share Story of Breast Cancer
• October is Think Pink month at Avera McKennan

Avera Medical Minute and KSFY News

• Weekly Breast Conference »
• Comprehensive Breast Program »
• Men Against Breast Cancer »
• Pampering and Prevention »
• Phil And Kristie Schreck Talk About Breast Cancer Awareness »

Other resources

• Avera McKennan Breast Care Center Imaging Technology »
• Online cancer resources »
• Visit the Avera Health Library for breast cancer education »

Events