TEMPLE, Texas — Editor's Note: The attached video aired on Oct. 10, 2023.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we want to share with you the importance of early testing, self-exams and where you can get tested here in Central Texas.
According to Mayo Clinic, in recent years, studies have shown an increase in breast cancer survivors. In September, the Food and Drug Administration expanded their approval for a breast cancer drug 'Kisgali', which helps early-stage patients.
Screening tests, such as mammograms, can help detect the cancer, hopefully before it has a chance to progress. For more information on breast cancer testing, click here.
According to the Mayo Clinic, here are some signs to look out for:
- Lumps or areas of the skin around your breast feeling different to the touch
- Changes in color of your skin
- Change in size or shape
- The appearance of your skin is also an indicator such as dimpled or orange peel like skin
- If your skin peels, flakes, crusts or is scaly
Some of the most common risk factors include:
- Family history
- Alcohol
- Increase in age
- Starting menopause at an older age
A few other risks that might not be as known include:
- Starting your period before age 12- higher lifetime exposure to estrogen
- Never being pregnant- pregnancy interrupts the exposure of breast cells
- Dense breast tissue- more dense tissue than fatty tissue makes it harder to detect cancer on a mammogram
Now if you can't make it to a doctor, it is always recommended to perform self-exams. You can find a step-by-step method to do a self-exam here.
Below are centers around Central Texas that provide mammograms:
- Baylor Scott & White Cancer Center, Temple, 2401 S. 31st St.
- Baylor Scott & White Cancer Center, Killeen, 3801 Scott and White Dr.
- Ascension Providence Breast Health Center, Waco, 6600 Fish Pond Rd.
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