Breast Cancer – Prevention and Detection

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  As women, breast cancer is something that we all think about. If we haven’t been personally affected odds are that a family member or a friend has been. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Though diagnosis and treatment have greatly improved survival and quality of life for women with breast cancer, it is still the second leading cause of cancer death for women, after lung cancer. More than a quarter-million new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States.

We are so proud to be partnering with Baptist Health South Florida to bring you tips on the prevention of breast cancer and share the beautiful facilities that they have here in Palm Beach County for mammograms and screenings.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as part of Baptist Health South Florida’s ongoing commitment to expanding care in the community, Baptist Health is offering special pricing for mammograms for those without insurance throughout October. A screening mammogram is $50 and a diagnostic mammogram is $100, including the radiologist’s fee and 3-D mammography.  A prescription is required.  If you are in need of a prescription, you can meet with the nurse practitioner at the imaging facility.

Schedule an appointment at Bethesda Women’s Health Center in Boynton Beach or Wellington by calling, 561-374-5700 or visit BethesdaWeb.com/BreastHealth

I wanted to personally meet with the staff to learn a little bit more about what they do and share what to expect with our readers.

I went to their beautiful facility in Wellington on Forest Hill Blvd. This location has been open for 3 years and the Boynton location has been open since 1996. The staff is so welcoming and warm.  They lead me back to the mammogram waiting area.  It feels less like a doctor’s office and more like a spa waiting room.  

If you are over 40 you can start getting mammograms annually, if under 40 you can get a mammogram if your family history puts you at a higher risk for developing breast cancer or if you have discovered a lump during your monthly breast exam.

The mammogram takes about 5-10 minutes, so don’t worry about fitting in a long lengthy appointment! 

In addition to mammograms, the staff will also ask if you to complete a questionnaire regarding family history.  Questions like if anyone in your family had breast cancer before age 50 and ancestor questions, such if your mother or father’s side is of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. This lets the staff know if you would be a candidate for genetic testing.  If you are, you can immediately talk to Myriad, the company that runs the test for the BRCA gene.  Myriad will ask you questions and will let the staff at Bethesda know if you qualify for testing and either a blood test or a mouth swap is done and immediately sent out to Utah where Myriad is headquartered.  I was blown away by all that can be done at one appointment!

After seeing all of the tests and screenings they provide, the thing that left me feeling great about the facility was the staff.  They spoke about the emotional support that each patient receives.  You can truly feel that these women care about each and every woman that walks through the doors.

One of the things I wanted to know was as a woman in her 30’s with no family history, what I can I do in terms of prevention.

According to American Cancer Society (ACS) research says about 42 percent of cancer cases and 45 percent of cancer deaths in the United States are linked to modifiable risk factors – making them preventable.  Like other cancers, breast cancer prevention has a lot to do with living a healthy lifestyle. Adopting specific healthy habits can extend a man’s life expectancy by 14 years and add an average of 12 years to women’s lives, according to a study published earlier this year in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. They include:

  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Getting regular exercise
  • Not smoking
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Limiting alcohol

 

Thank you to Baptist Health South Florida for partnering with Palm Beach Moms Blog to let the mothers of Palm Beach County know the amazing resources we have available here so close to our homes!

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Meg Palumbo
Meg is the proud founder of Palm Beach Mom Collective. Meg is bringing her past career experience in event planning, corporate sponsorships, public relations and advertising to the helm of PBMC! She’s been married to her best friend and husband, Chris, for over 11 years and enjoys spending time with their sons, Jameson (born October 2011) and Patrick (born August 2014) and daughter, Amelia (born January 2018). When not devoting her time to Palm Beach Mom Collective and her family, she enjoys running, going to the beach and enjoying great meals with a fabulous glass of wine!