Breast Cancer

A lump in or thickening of the breast tissue may be an early or late sign of cancer and should be reported to a doctor, especially if you’ve just found it or notice it has grown in size. Contact your physician if you are experiencing these symptoms.

While women of all ages should do breast self-exams monthly, it is recommended that women over the age of 40 receive annual mammograms.

Conflicting studies have emerged about the effectiveness of mammograms in preventing breast cancer death. Though the screening may not be 100% effective (no cancer screening is), it is still the best tool we currently have to detect breast cancer at an early stage. GCS recommends annual mammograms for women over the age of 40.

Breast cancer isn’t just a woman’s disease. Men also have breast tissue that can undergo cancerous changes. While women are about 100 times more likely to get breast cancer, any man can develop breast cancer. Male breast cancer is most common between the ages of 60 and 70.