Palmetto State Extra: Your Health And You

*Breast Cancer What You Need To Know*

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in South Carolina. It's the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the state.

Throughout the U.S., about 40,000 women die each year from breast cancer according to the CDC. Nationally breast cancer is:

The most common cancer in women, no matter their race or ethnicity.

The most common cause of death from cancer among Hispanic women.

The second most common cause of death from cancer among white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.

Why is it important to catch breast cancer as early as possible?

Women with breast cancer diagnosed at the earliest stage (Stage 1), before the cancer has had time to spread to lymph nodes or other locations outside the breast, have a 99% chance of surviving at least 5 years.

Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer after the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes (Stages 2 and 3), have an 84% chance of surviving at least 5 years.

Once breast cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or organs throughout the body (Stage 4), the 5-year survival rate falls to 23%.

Are survival rates improving?

Thanks in part to breast cancer screening/early detection, long-term survival rates for breast cancer have improved dramatically over the last several decades.

In the 1960s, 63 out of 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer were still living 5 years following their diagnosis of breast cancer.

Today, 90 out of 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer are still living 5 years following diagnosis.

In addition, today 82 out of 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer are living at least 10 years following diagnosis, and 77 out of 100 are living at least 15 years.

What symptoms should I look for?

So if you find a lump, skin change, or any other breast changes or unusual discharge from your nipple(s), see your health care provider right away. Do not wait. Do monthly breast self-exams. (If you don't know how, ask your health care provider to teach you.) See your health care provider each year for a breast exam. And if you are 40 or older, have a mammogram once a year.

(If you are a woman age 30 to 64 and need assistance, you may qualify for free breast and cervical cancer screenings through DHEC's Best Chance Network. Check to see if you qualify.)

Can men get breast cancer?

Yes, men can get breast cancer. But breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women than in men. In men, breast cancer can happen at any age, but is most common in men who are between 60 and 70 years old. Medical treatment options are the same for both women and men who get breast cancer.

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

Research has shown that these risk factors increase your risk of getting breast cancer.

Female gender

55 Years of age or older

Using hormone replacement therapy for menopause

Using alcohol

Being overweight or obese (especially after menopause)

Lack of exercise

Not breastfeeding

Radiation treatments to breast during teens

Treatment with DES

Starting period before age 12

Starting menopause after age 55

Inherited genetic differences

Family history of breast cancer, especially in a mother, sister or daughter

Personal history of breast cancer in one breast

Dense breast tissue

Race (White women are slightly more likely to get breast cancer than African-American women. African American women, though, are more likely to die of breast cancer.)

Certain non-cancerous breast problems

Cells that look like cancer cells but are not, in milk-making glands (a condition called Lobular carcinoma in situ)

Not having children or having first child after age 30

Recent use of birth control pills or Depo Provera/DMPA shot.

Recent research offers some evidence to show that the following factors may also raise your risk for breast cancer. However, the links with breast cancer are not yet completely clear at this point; more research is needed.

Eating Meat/High Fat Diet: Some studies show that diet may play a role in breast cancer, particularly the amount of fat in the diet and intake of meat. Studies show that women in countries/cultures that follow a low fat diet (low consumption of meat and animal products) have lower rates of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends limiting consumption of meats, which is also linked to other cancers (especially colon and prostate cancers).

Smoking: Some studies have found that smoking may increase the risk of breast cancer, especially for women who started smoking when they were young.

Exposure to Pollution/Certain Chemicals: Research suggests a possible link between air pollution and breast cancer. So far, research has not established a clear link between breast cancer risk and exposure to things like plastics, certain cosmetics and personal care products, and pesticides.

What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer?

Minimize alcohol consumption.

Get plenty of physical exercise (especially important in reducing risk of post-menopausal breast cancer).

Maintain a healthy weight (especially important in reducing risk of post-menopausal breast cancer).

Breastfeed your baby.

Do not use (or discontinue) long-term hormone therapy to ease symptoms of menopause.

Catch problems early by doing monthly breast self-exams.

Get a yearly breast exam from your health care provider, and if you are 40 years of age or older, get a yearly mammogram.

What can health care providers and hospitals do?

Provide meeting space for cancer support groups.

Encourage participation in research, including clinical trials.

Encourage women to assist with the design and participate in studies of women who have had early-stage cancer and have finished therapy.

Encourage eligible women to get mammograms at recommended intervals.

Assure that your cancer cases are reported to your hospital cancer registry or The South Carolina Central Cancer Registry.

*McLeod For Health Florence Open Begins*

The McLeod for Health Florence Open will be held October 10 through 16 at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center. Florence’s only professional tennis tournament, made possible by the partnership between McLeod Health and the City of Florence, helps raise awareness of breast cancer and physical activity through the tournament, which benefits women in the region with mammogram scholarships.
The McLeod for Health Florence Open will feature a 32-draw qualifying round, a 32-draw main round and a Pro-Am event. Qualifying rounds begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 10 and the Pro-Am will take place that evening at 6:30 p.m. Feature matches will be held daily throughout the week at noon. The doubles finals and singles semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, October 15, and the singles finals will be held on Sunday, October 16.

*Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month: DHEC Urges Expectant Parents to Monitor Baby Health by Using ‘Count the Kicks’*

COLUMBIA, S.C. ― During Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reminds South Carolinians of the agency’s ongoing partnership with Count the Kicks, an evidence-based stillbirth prevention campaign. Count the Kicks educates and empowers expectant parents about the importance of paying attention to their baby’s movements in the third trimester as a method to prevent stillbirth.

In the United States, stillbirth is defined as the loss of a baby at 20 weeks or later during pregnancy. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stillbirth is a public health crisis, with nearly 23,500 babies born still in the country each year. In South Carolina, 1 in every 144 pregnancies ends in stillbirth.

“Every year in South Carolina, roughly 400 babies are born still. DHEC is committed to improving birth outcomes for families in our state, and we believe Count the Kicks provides a solution to help save babies,” said Kimberly Seals, DHEC’s Director of the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. “We encourage anyone who works with expectant parents to order free Count the Kicks educational materials to share within their communities. Together, we can help more families have a healthy birth outcome.”

The CDC lists a change in a baby’s movements as one of its 15 urgent maternal warning signs. Research shows that babies can be saved from preventable stillbirth when expectant parents track their baby’s movements daily and learn how long it normally takes their baby to get to 10 movements. The free Count the Kicks app is a helpful way to help track third-trimester movement. It’s available for free in 12 languages in the iOS and Google Play app stores.

“The Count the Kicks app is a powerful tool to help expectant parents be more in tune with their bodies and their babies,” said Emily Price, Executive Director for Healthy Birth Day, Inc., the nonprofit organization that created the Count the Kicks campaign. “We are grateful to be partnering with DHEC to ensure parents and providers in South Carolina have the tools and resources they need to have an ongoing conversation about fetal movement throughout the third trimester.”

Racial disparities persist in birth outcomes, and a disproportionate number of babies are born still to African American, Hispanic and Native American women. According to the CDC, a Black woman is more than twice as likely to lose her baby to stillbirth than her White counterpart. For Black women in the U.S., 1 in every 96 pregnancies will end in stillbirth compared to 1 in every 212 pregnancies for White women. Black women are also three times more likely to die of pregnancy complications.

“This October, we invite South Carolinians to raise awareness about the impact of stillbirths within our communities and to help share the information and resources that can help prevent stillbirths, especially among our state’s African American, Hispanic and Native American women,” said Seals.

Learn more about Count the Kicks at countthekicks.org. For more information about resources offered by DHEC’s Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, visit scdhec.gov/health.