The American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer, and that 1 in 35 will die from the disease. Those statistics are enough to make any woman worry about her or her family member’s risk of developing breast cancer at some point. However, these statistics should also inspire and encourage women to take preventative action now. The following 7 steps are recommended for every woman in order to reduce the risk of breast cancer and increase the odds of finding it early when it’s most treatable.
1. Eat a healthy balanced diet, exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week, and maintain a healthy weight.
2. Quit smoking, and if you drink alcohol, limit consumption to no more than one serving daily. Note that the Centers for Disease Control defines one serving of alcohol as 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor.
3. If you have the option, choose to breastfeed for at least several months.
4. Choose not to use hormone therapy after menopause.
5. Be sure your doctor is aware of any family history of breast cancer.
6. Be aware of changes in your breasts, and know that the symptoms of breast cancer may include a lump, swelling, redness, irritation, hardness, dimpling, discharge or pain. Talk with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
7. Follow the advice of the American Cancer Society and begin doing breast self-exams in your 20s, and having both a clinical breast exam and a mammogram annually starting at age 40. If you’re at high risk for developing breast cancer, your doctor may also encourage you to schedule an annual MRI.
To learn more about breast cancer prevention, use Kendall Regional Medical Center’s free Consult-A-Nurse® service. You can contact our nurses 24 hours a day by calling 1-888-256-7719. To find a doctor, use our online Find a Physician service.
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About Kendall Regional
American Heart and Stroke Association
Kendall Regional Medical Center has been given the “Get With The Guidelines” – Stroke Silver Performance Achievement Award from The American Heart and Stroke Association. The Association recognize this hospital for achieving at least one year of 85% or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines program quality indicators to improve quality of patient care and outcomes.
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Joint Commission Accreditation
Kendall Regional Medical Center has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval™ from the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission is a leader in the accreditation and certification of health care organizations. Its seal of approval indicates a hospital meets its high performance standards.
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Primary Stroke Center
Kendall Regional Medical Center is a primary stroke center certified by The Joint Commission. The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization, which accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
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Chest Pain Center
Kendall Regional Medical Center has received recognition as an Accredited Chest Pain Center (CPC) with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) by the Society of Chest Pain Centers.
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Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals
Kendall Regional Medical Center is a six time winner of the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® National Benchmark award. Selection is based on an annual study conducted by Thomson Reuters Healthcare (formerly Solucient), which identifies benchmarks for the highest hospital-wide performance in hospitals across the country.
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HealthGrades
Kendall Regional Medical Center is a recipient of the HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award - Clinical Excellence for 2009.
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