Every year, millions of Americans participate in thousands of events around the country hoping to bring awareness to Breast Cancer. These events have raised funds and educated people on this devastating disease.
We all know someone who has been impacted by breast cancer or will be, as more than 200,000 women (and men) every year will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
While October has come to a close, we appreciate the strides made towards curing this terrible disease. According to the American Cancer Society, this year the following studies are being conducted so that hopefully, one day, we can eradicate this devastating illness:
Finding A Cause
The reason women get breast cancer has been hypothesized, but the exact reasoning behind it is unknown. Finding a cause could help prevent the disease or slow down the effects of breast cancer in women. Today, scientists are looking at how weight, diet, and exercise could affect your risk for breast cancer. Additionally, there are potential environmental and lifestyle causes being tested, as well as several genes that have been thought to affect your risk for breast cancer.
Reducing the Risk
Although exact causes of the disease are widely unknown, scientists believe that new medications may help reduce the risk for breast cancer. For example, some hormonal drugs that are currently being used to treat the disease, may also help prevent it. Other dietary supplements and even breast reduction are being tested as possible preventative techniques in the fight against breast cancer.
New Diagnostic Imaging
While ultrasounds and mammograms are used to diagnose breast cancer, the results are sometimes not optimal. Advancements such as 3D mammography are available improving the situation. New diagnostic tests such as the scintimammography or Molecular Breast Imaging are being studied. This test places a “slightly radioactive drug into a vein.” This tracer will then attach to any cancerous cell for easy detection of any abnormalities within the breast.
Other techniques currently being studied are those such as oncoplastic surgery, which is a breast-conserving surgery for the sufferers of breast cancer. This may help breast cancer survivors maintain a more normal lifestyle after the disease, as well as help with some of the psychological effects of losing part of your body.
Strides are being made to detect, prevent, and deal with the side-effects of breast cancer; and while we still have a long journey ahead of us, the leaps we are making towards treatment and prevention of breast cancer have already helped thousands of women deal with the disease. Together, we will all join the fight for more birthdays.
If you, or someone you know, is dealing with breast cancer. Or if it is time for a mammography and you have questions, please contact Intercoastal Medical Group today to make an appointment with one of our doctors or request one online.
