October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Actual Dance tells a story of MY journey in response to Susan’s diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer in 2000
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month I post a blog each day with a reflection about breast cancer. The reflections all stem from something in the play. (All quotes are from lines in the play).
Day 4: Dense Breasts “Don't worry. ... Remember, you had a mammogram just two months ago and it was normal." The Actual Dance
These are my words after Susan tells me her internist "felt something funny" in her right breast and wanted her to have a biopsy. Susan had very dense breasts, and she already had three previous biopsy tests. She had been watching herself closely and doctors had been testing her tissue for about a decade. We were doing the right thing. What was there to worry about, and there was not even a lump. The trouble was with the technology. There was not good technology to see her type of cancer as it was growing in the 80’s and 90’s.
The good news is that today there is new technology that can much more accurately see dense breast tissue and to see breast cancer when it first appears. Women need to be Aware of their breasts in terms of their make-up and risk profiles. Most importantly, they need to be checked and tested and what to ask for based on your unique physical make up.
Stats of the Day: Almost 8% of women aged between 40-74 years have extremely dense breasts. ScienceMag
Task of the Day: October is time to get your breast exam scheduled, if not performed. When you do make sure YOU KNOW if you have dense breast and what the latest technology is to look at YOUR BREASTS. There has been some news lately about technology Molecular Breast Imaging for dense breasts. Ask about it.
Resource of the Day: There is a whole web site about Breast Density
The Actual Dance: Performances. Donate.
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month I post a blog each day with a reflection about breast cancer. The reflections all stem from something in the play. (All quotes are from lines in the play).
Day 4: Dense Breasts “Don't worry. ... Remember, you had a mammogram just two months ago and it was normal." The Actual Dance
These are my words after Susan tells me her internist "felt something funny" in her right breast and wanted her to have a biopsy. Susan had very dense breasts, and she already had three previous biopsy tests. She had been watching herself closely and doctors had been testing her tissue for about a decade. We were doing the right thing. What was there to worry about, and there was not even a lump. The trouble was with the technology. There was not good technology to see her type of cancer as it was growing in the 80’s and 90’s.
The good news is that today there is new technology that can much more accurately see dense breast tissue and to see breast cancer when it first appears. Women need to be Aware of their breasts in terms of their make-up and risk profiles. Most importantly, they need to be checked and tested and what to ask for based on your unique physical make up.
Stats of the Day: Almost 8% of women aged between 40-74 years have extremely dense breasts. ScienceMag
Task of the Day: October is time to get your breast exam scheduled, if not performed. When you do make sure YOU KNOW if you have dense breast and what the latest technology is to look at YOUR BREASTS. There has been some news lately about technology Molecular Breast Imaging for dense breasts. Ask about it.
Resource of the Day: There is a whole web site about Breast Density
The Actual Dance: Performances. Donate.
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