Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
Breast cancer is a disease in which most of us have had an unwanted experience. Most of us have had a friend, acquaintance, or family member, who has battled breast cancer. In the latest data on U.S. cancer statistics (2021), there were 272,454 new breast cancer cases reported in this country. According to the data, 42,211 women died from breast cancer in 2022. According to recent data, 13 percent of women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
As advancements in the treatment of breast cancer develop, the number of women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer is far greater than those, who will succumb to it.
So, what does one look for? A lump is the classic finding but one may see a dimpling of the skin, a retracted nipple, a discharge from the breast, pain in the breast, a change in the shape of the breast, a change in the skin of the breast or any difference in what your normal breast looks or feels like.
What does breast maintenance look like? Genetically, most breast cancers occur with no family members having had breast cancer beforehand. If there is a family history, surveillance of the breasts begins early. When multiple members of a family are diagnosed with breast cancer, genetic counseling should happen to assess whether a woman is the carrier of a breast cancer gene such as BRCA- 1 or BRCA- 2.
Mammograms save lives. Speak to your healthcare provider to determine when you should start getting these lifesaving procedures. Without special circumstances or risk factors, a woman will start her mammograms at age 40 and will continue them each year afterwords. Self-breast examination is a worthy skill that women should acquire. If there is a family predisposition to developing breast cancer, such tests begin at an earlier age.
It is known that African American women may develop some of the most aggressive breast cancers and unfortunately die from breast cancer at a higher rate than their White counterparts.
So, why is this the case? I recently attended a lecture by Dr. Checo Rorie the chairman of the Department of Biology at North Carolina A&T State University. Dr. Rorie studies breast cancer in African American women and discussed some interesting points about the disparities and aggressive nature of breast cancer in African American women.
Dr. Rorie emphasize that there are indeed cultural and economic barriers to some women obtaining health care and this often results in a delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer, which then delays treatment of breast cancer and follow up of care. He also noted that some factors that affect this breast cancer scenario are having children at an early age, the high rate of gestational diabetes in African American women and the low rate of breast feeding. Other comorbid factors include obesity, diabetes and hypertension. In addition, poor food choices and food deserts, the stress of life and environmental carcinogens are also factors.
Breast cancer awareness is the key. Make sure all the women in your world receive their mammograms annually. Let’s fight breast cancer together.
Dr. Veita Bland is a board-certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on N.C. A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The show is replayed on Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wed. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.
