I'm Worried About Getting Breast Cancer
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If you or a loved one are concerned about being diagnosed with breast cancer, it is important that you empower yourself with information about the disease. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women in the U.S., affecting one out of eight women and approximately 200,000 women annually. When breast cancer is detected early, there may be a higher rate of success with treatment.
Scientists are not able to determine why some people develop breast cancer and others don't, but they have identified certain risk factors that may increase the chance of developing breast cancer. These breast cancer risk factors include personal and family history of breast cancer, genetic alterations to certain genes, age, race, certain breast changes and several lifestyle factors. If you have a significant family history of breast cancer, you may want to consider genetic counseling to assess your risk factors and weigh the benefits of genetic testing.
Regular screening is an important step in the early detection of breast cancer. The goal of screening is to find cancers before they begin to cause symptoms. Breast cancers that are found early are typically small and still confined to the breast. Depending on your age and risk factors, screening may include frequent self breast exams, clinical breast exams, mammograms and breast ultrasounds. If you have symptoms of breast cancer, or screening tests suggest breast cancer, it is important to see your physician for a complete medical exam and diagnostic testing.
Before any breast cancer treatment plan is developed, it is important to understand the stage of your breast cancer and learn about the treatment options available to you. If you are a newly diagnosed patient and choose to treat at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we will put you at the center of your care. You will have several diagnostic tests to determine the stage of breast cancer, and work closely with a medical oncologist to build an integrative treatment plan that meets your unique needs. You will also have the option to meet with various other practitioners who will supplement your treatment with nurturing complementary therapies. At CTCA, the focus is on you.
