LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the goal of Langley's Surgical Clinic is to educate patients and let them know it's a treatable disease.
One in eight American women will develop breast cancer but men are also at risk. More than 182,000 women will be diagnosed with it and 44,000 women will die from the disease this year, according to the
American Cancer Society.
The Langley Surgical Clinic currently treats more than fifty men and women with breast cancer, according to Briona Reed, a breast health nurse at the clinic.
"We are doing everything in our power to get the word out and inform patients about prevention, early diagnoses and treatment of breast cancer," said Maj. Jason Morvant, chief of surgery.
There are several things that patients can do to help prevent breast cancer. Early prevention can begin with having an active lifestyle with daily exercise and a healthy diet including fruit, vegetables and grains. Drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke can also decrease the risk of breast cancer.
Women should perform monthly self-breast examinations to help detect breast cancer early, and women over 40 years of age should receive an annual mammogram screening, said Ms. Reed.
The surgical clinic sends out mammogram reminders to patients on a monthly basis and also provides self-breast examination training. If a patient is interested in learning how to properly perform a self-breast examination, there are educational videos and breast models available to demonstrate proper examination techniques.
Early symptoms of breast cancer include detection of an abnormal mass, dimpling and red or irritated skin on the breast, said Major Morvant. Other symptoms include nipple pain, inward turning of the nipple, discharge from the nipple or a lump in the underarm area, he added.
When diagnosed with breast cancer there are several treatment options. These options vary depending on a patient's situation, said Ms. Reed.
Treatment options include a lumpectomy, which involves removal of the tumor only, a mastectomy, which is the removal of the entire breast, and radiation and chemotherapy.
During October, the hospital will have free literature on breast cancer available in the main lobby and also in front of the surgical clinic. Ms. Reed encourages patients interested in learning more about breast cancer to call the surgical clinic at 764-8224.