What to Tell Your Daughter About Breast Cancer

In case you haven't noticed, pink has replaced traditional fall colors for the month of October to bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness around the globe.  For many women, it is a reminder to get  their annual gynecological exam, including a mammogram. 

National Breast Cancer Awareness month is also a great time to seize the opportunity to tell your daughters about breast cancer, it's risks, symptoms and especially breast cancer screening. Encourage your daughters to become informed about breast cancer, and to be familiar with their own bodies so they will recognize physical changes.

It's never too early to help your daughter feel comfortable with her body and be her confidante whenever she has questions or concerns.  Using correct terminology when referring to male and female body parts, and bodily functions, will help her transition into bodily changes associated with hormones when they occur. 

The more comfortable she is with her body, the more prepared she will be as each phase of womanhood occurs.  A strong mother-daughter relationship will give her the support she needs, especially if there are health issues along the way.

Four Things:

1.  Tell her that it is important that women know how their breasts feel normally.  Encourage her to do self-breast exams monthly after age 20.

2.  Tell her about her family history regarding breast cancer risks, and make sure she conveys those risks to her physician.

3.   Encourage her to schedule a gynecologic exam when she becomes sexually active, which will include a clinical breast exam by a trained healthcare professional, and should be repeated every 3 years until age 39.

4.  Make sure she gets regular mammograms.  The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends annual mammograms starting at age 40, while the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises women to have a mammogram every one to two years starting at age 40 and annually after age 50. 

Make sure your daughter's information regarding breast cancer is based on facts not fear.   Learning about breast cancer risk factors, symptoms, prevention and treatment will better prepare both of you if you or a loved one face the disease.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors:
    *aging
    *direct family history (mother, sister, daughter) of breast cancer
    *inherited familial breast cancer genes BRAC1 and/or BRAC2
    *breast lesion (possibly from previous biopsy)
    *previous abnormal breast biopsy
    *early menstruation
    *early menopause
    *obesity
    *excessive radiation
    *other cancer in the family, especially ovarian, cervix, uterine or colon
    *alcohol intake
    *hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
    *Caucasian women are at slightly higher risk than African-American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American women.
    *African-American women are at higher risk for breast cancer than Caucasians under the age of 40.
   
Breast Cancer Prevention:
    *There is a belief among health care professionals that certain lifestyle habits may possibly aid in the prevention of breast cancer.  Among these healthy habits, are regular aerobic exercise, a diet low in fats and high in fruits, vegetables and grains, daily intake of fiber and Vitamins A, C. D and E, calcium, selenium and iodine.  These lifestyle habits alone are not sufficient to overcome other risk factors for breast cancer.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer:
    *A lump in the breast or underarm which persists after your menstrual cycle.
    *Swelling in the armpit.
    *Pain or tenderness in the breast.
    *Change in size, contour, texture or temperature of the breast.
    *Reddish pitted surface of the breast like the skin of an orange.
    *Change in the nipple (indrawn or dimpled look), itching or burning sensation, ulceration, scaling of the nipple.
    *Unusual discharge from the nipple; might be clear, bloody or another color.
    *Marble-like area under the skin.
    *An area that is distinctly different from any other area on either breast.

It is important to know that in it's early stages, breast cancer usually has no symptoms.  Self-breast exam, annual breast exams by a health care professional and mammograms are currently the best tools in detecting breast cancer. 

The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the survival rate.  Breast cancers diagnosed in states 0 and 1 have a survival rate of 98%.

If the unthinkable happens, and you, your daughter or a loved one are diagnosed with breast cancer, get the facts about your type of breast cancer from your physician.

    1.  Ask your physician to explain in detail the type of breast cancer:  Invasiveductal carcinoma (IDC), Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), Infilatrating (invasive) lobular carcinoma (ILC).

    2.  Cancer ranges in stages from 0-4 indicating how far along your cancer has progressed; your physician will explain each stage and which stage your cancer is.

    3.  Treatment options, including your physician's recommendations should be explained in detail.  Surgical options include lumpectomy and mastectomy.

    4.  Is radiation necessary based on your particular diagnosis and surgical choice?

    5.  What are the chances of chemotherapy being effective, and will radiation still be necessary?

Treatment for breast cancer, whether surgical, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination, cannot be sugar-coated or made light of.  It is a fight for your life.  It is difficult.  No one should face it alone.   Partner with your physicians and surgeon in making choices regarding treatment, discussing with them all of your questions and concerns.  Lean heavily on your family and friends for support and help with daily tasks if necessary.

The statistics are staggering - The National Cancer Institute (NCIH) estimates more than 207,000 new cases of breast cancer in women and nearly 2,000 new cases of breast cancer in men this year, leading to a combined total of over 40,000 deaths.

Breast cancer is not automatically a life sentence.  There is HOPE.  Earlier detection and better treatment options explain why there are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors. 

Don't let breast cancer be a subject you always wish you had discussed with your daughter.