Awareness is the Key to Prevention

According to the Breast Cancer: Facts and Figures 2011-2012 report put out by the American Cancer Society, between 2004-2008, there were 329,000 new incidents of breast cancer cases reported in Texas alone. In a similar span, there were 75,600 deaths from complications caused by this cancer in our state.

These numbers are staggering considering that 50% of the population of Texas are female, and that the second leading cause of death in women is cancer according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Breast cancer has the highest mortality rate out of all other types of cancer. During this month, Texas A&M International University is bringing awareness by means of education, examinations, and preventive health measures.

It all begins with an appointment made with your gynecologist or your family's practitioner. Fast forward to the date of your appointment, and once you are called into the room, the nurse or doctor will ask for you to remove your clothing from the waist up. After getting settled, the nurse walks you through the next steps and the tension finally seems to leave the room. The stress is ever present, but you are being proactive with your health and are taking the first step towards preventive care.

Two Bridge reporters took the opportunity to immerse themselves in the procedures and the education that could lead to lifesaving detection. This was the general feeling that we had as we made our appointments with the TAMIU student health services to see the nurse practitioner for our own preventive breast exams. "Preventive health is the main idea when it comes to early detection of breast cancer," Dolores Canales, the nurse practitioner, stressed many times during the visit. It is that early detection that saves lives in most breast cancer cases involving women and men. And she is right; according to the American Cancer Society, "The decline in breast cancer mortality has been attributed to both improvements in breast cancer treatment and early detection."

After the exam was done, there was a sense of relief as she said that everything looked great and there was nothing to worry about. However, the hypothetical question was posed, "What if there was a lump? What then?"

"Depending on the age of the patient, there would be different steps to take to determine what the mass could be. In my case," Canales said, " I would order a breast ultrasound. Besides ordering a sonogram, once the results are on hand then we send you off to a surgeon...They would decide what would be the next step." In most cases a biopsy would be ordered to check the tissue for density. Depending on the results of the biopsy, a treatment plan can be mapped out for the patient if there are signs of cancerous tissue.

After our exams, the education continued on how to detect lumps, discoloration, changes in texture, and others signs. The nurse walked us through different methods of performing a self-exam and handed over a Do-It-Yourself guide on what a women could do themselves because like she said, "As women, we need to learn what is normal for us in our bodies, so if you check yourself monthly you will be more aware of what you have normally." She suggests a monthly self-exam 5-7 days after the first day of menstruation. Some of the different methods include detection while, "in the shower, before a mirror, and lying down."

Prevention does seem to work as the Facts and Figuresreport from the American Cancer Society states, "From 1990-2007, death rates decreased by 3.2% per year among women younger than 50, and by 2.0% per year among women 50 and older."

There are many options available if you are interested in taking the right step towards wellness. The Bridge, in an effort to lower the statistics of deaths due to breast cancer, encourages all women to make an appointment with their personal physician. If you are a TAMIU student, you can make your appointment with the student health services by calling at (956) 326-2235, or visiting the University Student Center 125. If you are uninsured, you can visit the Laredo Gateway Clinic, located at 1515 Pappas Street,for assistance in learning more about preventive health measures and other methods on not becoming another statistic.

(Mae Aguilar and Tina Gomez may be reached at judithaguilar@dusty.tamiu.edu & cristinagomez@dusty.tamiu.edu)