Breast Cancer Awareness Month: One Screening Can Make a Difference
Each October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month serves as an important reminder to prioritize breast health, promote early detection, and recognize those whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer.
At AxcessPointe Health System (APHS), we encourage individuals to take an active role in their health by staying informed and keeping up with recommended preventive screenings. A mammogram may only take a small portion of your day, but it can play an important role in protecting your health.
Why Early Detection Matters
Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women in the United States. Early detection can help identify breast cancer at an earlier stage, when more treatment options may be available.
Mammograms are an important screening tool that can detect changes in breast tissue before they can be felt or cause noticeable symptoms. Staying current with recommended screenings can help identify potential concerns earlier and provide you and your healthcare provider with valuable information about your breast health.
Screening recommendations may vary based on age, family history, personal health history, and other individual risk factors. Talk with your healthcare provider about when you should begin receiving mammograms and how often screening may be appropriate for you.
Making Mammograms More Accessible
Access to preventive care is an important part of maintaining overall health. Financial concerns should not prevent individuals from seeking recommended health screenings.
AxcessPointe Health System offers affordable mammogram services to help make breast cancer screening more accessible to the communities we serve. Our team is committed to providing compassionate, quality care while helping reduce barriers that may prevent individuals from receiving the care they need.
If you have delayed a mammogram because of cost, scheduling, or questions about when you should be screened, consider speaking with your healthcare provider about your options.
Know Your Normal
Being familiar with your body is another important part of breast health. While changes in the breast do not always indicate cancer, new or unusual changes should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Contact your healthcare provider if you notice a new lump, a change in the size or shape of the breast, changes to the skin or nipple, unusual nipple discharge, or any other change that concerns you.
It is also important not to wait for symptoms before prioritizing breast health. Routine preventive care and recommended screenings remain important even when you feel healthy.
Encourage Someone You Love
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity not only to prioritize your own health, but also to encourage the people you care about to do the same.
A simple conversation can make a difference. Remind a friend, family member, coworker, or loved one to speak with their healthcare provider about breast health and recommended screenings. Sometimes, a little encouragement is all someone needs to take that next step.
This October, make breast health part of the conversation. Stay informed, talk with your healthcare provider about your individual risk, keep up with recommended screenings, and encourage those around you to prioritize their health as well.
One screening can be a meaningful step toward taking care of your health today and in the future.
Share Mammories with APHS.
