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The best way to fight breast cancer is to have a plan that helps you detect the disease in its early stages. According to the National Cancer Institute:

• Nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
• 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
• Over 30% of women are diagnosed after breast cancer has spread beyond the localized stage.
• When breast cancer is detected early (localized stage), the 5-year survival rate is 98%.

An Early Detection Plan is an interactive tool to help remind you to schedule:

• Self Breast – Exams
• Clinical Breast Exams
• Mammograms

To create your personalized plan with scheduled reminders, follow this link:
http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/edp/

Breast Facts & Resources

The Susan B. Komen Cancer Foundation provides a wealth of information for you to review and/or download as part of your education about your breasts and breast cancer.

The following link to "Understanding Breast Cancer" will provide an overview of the basic information available on breast health, breast cancer and other breast conditions:
http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/UnderstandingBreastCancer.html

Many women do not learn much about breast health unless they breastfeed or they have a problem that needs medical attention. Becoming familiar with breast anatomy and physiology can help you understand the many changes in your breasts that occur during your lifetime—and to distinguish which changes are normal and which are not. To learn about the structure of your breasts and how they function, go to: http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/TheBreast.html

To assist you in discussing breast health and cancer with your doctor, the Susan B. Komen site includes a series of 14 topic cards called “Questions to Ask the Doctor About Breast Cancer.”
(Go to: http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/QuestionstoAsktheDoctorPDFDownloads.html)

Each card contains pertinent questions to discuss with your doctor regarding a specific breast cancer topic. These topic cards are a valuable tool for women who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer who may be too overwhelmed to even know where to begin to start gathering information. You can download and print the cards and take them with you to your next doctor's appointment. Plenty of space is provided to jot down the answers to the questions. These topic cards are also available in Spanish.

Breast Cancer in Men

While breast cancer is more common in women, it can also occur in men—though it is rare. In 2010, an estimated 1,850 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 410 will die from it. Signs and symptoms of breast cancer in men include: nipple discharge (usually bloody), an inverted nipple, a breast lump, and sometimes, local pain, itching and a pulling sensation. The survival rate of men is about the same as for women with the same stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis. However, men are usually diagnosed at a later stage because they are less likely to report symptoms. Treatment for men is the same as treatment for women and usually includes a combination of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy.

For more information on breast cancer, visit the following sites:
http://ww5.komen.org
http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org
http://www.nbcam.org