North Central Health District

Jones County Health Department Invites Residents to Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted October 2, 2017 by Michael Hokanson

Jones County Health Department is hosting a Breast Cancer Awareness Month celebration Tuesday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. County residents are invited to visit the health department to utilize the health department’s breast cancer services and enjoy free snacks while learning more about breast cancer. Clinical breast exams and mammograms will be available to qualifying attendees age 40 to 64 through the health department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.

“We want to encourage all women to get tested during Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” said Jones County Health Department Manager Sherry Bryant. “Early detection saves lives. The sooner breast cancer is found, the easier it is to treat and the patient has an increased chance of survival.”

Breast cancer causes the cell in the breast to grow out of control. Second only to skin cancer, breast cancer is one of the leading cancers among American women. Though much more common in women, both women and men can be affected by the disease. Each year, nearly 41,000 women and 450 men in the US die from breast cancer.

An individual’s risk for breast cancer is determined by multiple factors, but the main factor is age. Most instances of breast cancer are found in women over 50 years old. In addition to age, other risk factors include:

• A personal or family history of breast cancer or certain non-cancerous breast diseases.
• Having menstrual periods before age 12, which leads to longer exposure to hormones.
• Starting menopause after age 55, meaning a longer exposure to estrogen hormones.
• Never going through a full-term pregnancy, or having the first pregnancy after age 30 raises the risk.
• Women who are overweight or obese after menopause have an increased risk.
• Drinking, smoking and exposure to radiation or certain chemical may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Risk factors like family history and age cannot be changed, but there are some steps a person can take to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Regular exercise and a healthy diet help to maintain a healthy weight which can lower a person’s risk. Limiting alcohol consumption, eliminating tobacco use and avoiding exposure to radiation and carcinogenic chemicals can decrease the risk. In addition, breastfeeding children can reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

For more information on breast cancer, visit cdc.gov/cancer/breast. To learn more about the health department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, visit NCHD52.org/BCCP.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to receive news, emergency messages and health information!