It’s all about the boobs: October is breast cancer awareness month

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women over their lifetime.

Sit and think for a moment of someone with breast cancer.  Do you have a relative- mother, grandmother, aunt, sister? A close friend? A mother at your school?  I know there is someone close to you.  It is inevitable.

Now sit and think for another moment.  When was your last mammogram? Self exam?  Yes yes. I know you are too busy.  Work, soccer practices, grocery shopping.  But when was your last exam? Self exams take a minute after you shower.  Couldn’t fit it in? Did you fit a shower in?

Breast cancer is a force to be reckoned with.  It cuts across racial, religious, and socioeconomic lines.  It doesn’t care if you are a 40 year old white stay at home mom of three or a 55 year old black woman executive. 

This is going to start a bunch of blogs focusing on breast cancer.  I am a female plastic surgeon.  A significant portion of my practice is breast.  I lift breasts, make them smaller, make them bigger, make them even.  And yes, I reconstruct breasts after they are removed because of breast cancer. 

STATS:

In a single year (this data is from the CDC)

• 191,410 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
• 40,820 women died from breast cancer.

Don’t bury your head in the sand.  Your best defense is a strong offense.  Go and check out your girls- do a self exam right now.