​Hello, Warriors! Thank you for taking time out of your active schedule to visit The Breast Place blog. Welcome! We hope you’re feeling well and taking advantage of the wonderful fall weather gracing our lovely city. If this is your first visit to The Breast Place blog, we cover a range of topics here. From breast cancer management to anti-aging skin treatments to helpful tips for maximizing your overall health and wellness, The Breast Place is committed to sharing the best health practices and treatment options with you! 
 
Our previous posts about male breast cancer and breast reconstruction surgery are available for your reading pleasure! Increasing awareness for male breast cancer, as well as identifying the differences in how male breast cancer presents in comparison to female breast cancer, is part of our attempt to catch cancer early. That’s what Breast Cancer Awareness Month is all about! Likewise, informing women of their reconstruction options post-mastectomy, as well as reminding women of the communities available for sharing their experiences, is part of our attempt to support survivors. If you’re interested in those efforts or know someone you might benefit from those articles, definitely give them a read! 
 
Today, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to take a closer look at how this observance was formed, its history, and who this observance has helped. After a brief history lesson, stick around for a few interesting statistics and ways you can help support the numerous charities operating this October. As well, we’d like to remind you that Botox for Breasts is currently running a charitable promotion which The Breast Place is taking part in. For every unit of Botox, one dollar will be donated to help support breast cancer survivors! We hope to see you in the office soon! 
 
Without further ado, let’s discover how Breast Cancer Awareness Month was created!
 
The History Behind Breast Cancer Awareness Month
 
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also known as NBCAM, is an observance recognized worldwide annually. Various charities band together every October to raise money for continued research and treatment development. While finding a cure for breast cancer is the ultimate goal, the month also serves to increase awareness for breast cancer, encourage preventative measures, and increase the number of early diagnosis. The awareness part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month promotes self-breast exams and breast imaging, which increases men and women’s likelihood of being diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. This, in turn, can save lives. 
 
Founded in 1985, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a relatively new addition to the list of national observances. Developed by the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of what is now AstraZeneca, both institutions sought to make mammograms a staple in the fight against breast cancer. 
 
Where does the pink ribbon come in? The pink ribbon which is commonly associated with Breast Cancer Awareness Month actually wasn’t introduced until later. First, in 1991, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, currently the largest breast cancer organization in the United States, passed out pink ribbons at a race for breast cancer survivors in New York City. Then, in 1993, the Senior Corporate Vice President of Estée Lauder, Evelyn Lauder, founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The pink ribbon began as a symbol for this specific institution. As National Breast Cancer Awareness Month gained popularity and notoriety, the pink ribbon became a symbol for the movement and has been used by companies to show support for breast cancer charities. It is also used to celebrate survivors and remember those who have been lost to breast cancer. 
 
Every year, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated in a host of ways. In 2010, Delta Air Lines painted a Boeing 767-432ER with the pink ribbon. In 2017, the White House was lit pink in honor of the observance. Similarly, in 2011, 10 Downing Street (where the British Prime Minister lives and works) was illuminated pink. The National Football League in the United States outfit their field with pink lines, while comic strip artists use pink for one day of the month. These pink promotions bring further awareness to the month and remind people to volunteer! 
 
In the later part of this article, we’ll name a few ways you can give to charity in October to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
 
The Statistics Concerning Breast Cancer Awareness Month
 
The purpose of Breast Cancer Awareness Month being to educate people about early detection and promote breast health, has the observance actually had any impact on breast cancer survival? We’re happy to be able to say… Yes, it has! The rate of death among breast cancer patients has been steadily declining since 1990, in part because of increased awareness, increased screening, and better treatment options. While breast cancer is still the most common cancer diagnosed in women (after skin cancer), 63% of cases are diagnosed in the localized stage. And, because the cancer has not spread, the five-year survival rate is 99%. That’s amazing! The rate of death from breast cancer among women fifty and over has declined at an even more rapid rate than for those under fifty. We hope this trend continues!
 
A study into the effect of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in a private hospital yielded interesting results! The study was split into two groups: women who sought screening between the months of February and September and those who sought screenings in the month of October. These two groups were referred to as the non-BCAM group and BCAM group, respectively. The non-BCAM group, with 69 women, was half the size of the BCAM group, with 129 women. The study concluded public awareness campaigns do lead to an increased rate of screening. However, they also pointed out, with routine screening programs becoming more widespread, this may not make much of a difference in the rate of diagnosis. Which is really the goal of Breast Cancer Awareness Month! 
 
Ways You Can Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month
 
There are so many wonderful ways you can support Breast Cancer Awareness in the month of October. (Although, there’s no rule that says you can't do it all year!) Most people associate the month with charity walks and runs. These races rely on donations to raise funds for research and the development of improved breast cancer treatments. If you’re physically and financially able, you may be able to contribute your time or money to these events! Or, if you prefer to just give money, there are dozens of charities who will use your dollars to fund necessary initiatives. If you aren’t physically or financially able to donate your time or money, no worries! There are other ways for you to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 
 
First: wear pink! It’s all about awareness in October and you increase awareness by wearing clothes associated with breast cancer. Read up on breast cancer. Equip yourself with information. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer for women. Every 2 minutes, a female is diagnosed with breast cancer. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. Only 5-10% of people diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history. Speak with your friends about regular screenings. Demystify the act of going to the doctor, performing a self-exam, and having a mammogram for those you love. 
 
You can also volunteer with the American Cancer Society (ACS) or another program to help increase breast cancer awareness in your local community. If you know someone with cancer, help make their lives a bit easier by organizing meal deliveries or rides to appointments. Be sure to ask first! Listen to the experiences of breast cancer survivors and those who have lost someone to breast cancer with an open mind and a kind heart. 
 
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity for everyone to come together, as a community, and uplift those who are currently struggling or have struggled with breast cancer. As we fight towards a cure, there’s things we can do to help others stay healthy and live long lives. We hope you’ll do your part this October for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
 
 
Of course, The Breast Place is committed to increased breast cancer awareness. That’s why we offer free consultations with our highly trained staff and advanced breast imaging services. We also offer family history and genetic testing services through AmbryCARE, for those who have a history of breast cancer in their family and believe that may be predisposed to genetic mutations. Our kind staff are here to help walk you through every step of the way. Give us a call or fill out one of the contact forms scattered around our website and we’ll be in touch! Thank you for reading and we hope you’ll return for our future articles!

Hello, Warriors! How are you doing today? We here at The Breast Place hope you’re enjoying the long days of constant sunshine midsummer has to offer. Whether you’re at the beach with your family or basking in your backyard, remember to slather on a thick layer of your favorite sunscreen! 
 
Today, our aim is to impress upon each of our readers the importance of teaching your daughters how to perform a breast self-exam and how you might go about having such a conversation. We understand these sorts of things can be tricky. It’s our professional opinion: preparation is the pangea to anxiety in situations such as this one. Equipped with knowledge, you can answer any questions your daughter might have about why breast self-exams are necessary and how to perform one herself. This exchange doesn’t have to be awkward. In fact, we hope with the information in this article, both you and your daughter will walk away from the conversation feeling confident and empowered. 
 
On the Importance of Self-Examination
 
A breast self-exam (BSE) is, as the name suggests, a self-performed examination of one’s own chest area. The area underneath one’s armpits is also included in a self examination. 
 
Early Awareness
 
The chief benefit of self-exams are their potential to alert women to the presence of lumps and masses in their breasts which might be cancerous. Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancer cases are first detected by women who felt a lump. Early awareness is a key factor in determining survival rates in cases involving non-metastatic invasive breast cancer. Sixty-three percent of women are diagnosed while the cancer is still contained within the breast and of these women, the five-year survival rate is ninety-nine percent. However, young women—ages 15 to 39—are less likely to be diagnosed within this early stage because regular breast cancer screenings don’t begin until age forty for most. 
 
The chance of women under forty developing breast cancer is only five percent. However minimal this risk factor may seem, it is still a risk. Therefore, teaching your daughters how to perform self-exams is vital. 
 
Knowing One’s Own Body
 
The secondary benefit of performing regular self-exams might be the more universal of the two. We all need to have at least a basic understanding of our bodies. Performing regular breast self-exams can help your daughter to become familiar with her own physicality. Doctors recommend young women conduct self-exams less for the chance they’ll find a cancerous mass and more to have a solid understanding of what’s “normal” for them. Only by having a baseline of what your breasts look and feel like can young people identify when something has changed. 
 
The Talk
 
Now, you’re ready to have “the talk.” You don’t necessarily have to plan out what you’re going to say. In fact, it’s better if you don’t! You don’t want anything to sound too scripted. This is a natural topic of conversation between you and your daughter. Therefore, it’s always better to keep things casual. 
 
            When and Where
 
As with any in-depth conversation, you want to choose your moment. On a broader scale, this comes down to when—in your daughter’s timeline of development—you choose to have this conversation. While some doctors don’t recommend starting breast exams until you’re at least twenty and fully developed, others recommend beginning self-exams as soon as puberty. In this aspect, you must gauge the maturity of your child. Will they participate in this sort of conversation or plug their ears and run away? If it’s the latter, you might want to wait until they’re a bit more mature to have this conversation. 
 
On a smaller scale, when to have this conversation depends on external factors. Environment. Time-of-day. Even whether or not your child has eaten. For the optimal retention of information, you’ll want to choose a day when your child is well-rested. Choose a private location for this conversation, as well. Though there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, no one wants an audience when they're talking about intimate parts of their bodies. 
 
            Do Your Research
 
Knowledge is your friend. Don’t go into the conversation unprepared. Chances are, your daughter will have questions about things. If you’re confused about certain aspects of the self-exam, you’ll only transfer your confusion onto her. Make sure you’re able to answer the most common questions. 
 
How often should I be performing a self-exam? Once a month. 
 
When should I perform the exam? At least a week after your last period. This allows any swelling of the breasts to lessen before the exam. 
 
Where should I perform an exam? Self-exams can be performed standing up or lying down. They’ll want to add in the assistance of a mirror (when standing) in order to visually inspect the breasts. Doctors no longer recommend performing self-exams in the shower. 
 
What should I be looking for? You’re looking for any lumps, bumps, hard masses, dimpling, discoloration, changes in texture, or discharge. 
 
What’s normal? Everyone’s body is different. Therefore, there is no basic definition for normal. You’ll have to develop your own definition after multiple self-exams. Uneven breasts aren’t necessarily an indication of something being wrong. Likewise, stretchmarks (lighter or darker toned striations where the skin has stretched) are no cause for concern. What you want to keep an eye out for is major differences between the breasts (i.e. deformations or dimpling) and other sudden changes in the feel and appearance of your breasts.
 
How do I perform a self-exam? 
 
            Demonstrate
 
This part of the conversation depends on your level of comfortability. You can either verbally explain what to do or physically demonstrate using hand motions or combine a mixture of both methods. You can also print out a self-exam guide on the National Breast Cancer organization website. 
 
Written Instructions
 
Standing Self-Exam
 
Stand in front of a mirror. With your arms by your side, visually assess your chest area. You’re looking for noticeable changes in contour, dimpling, discoloration or strange texture. Next, raise your arms above your head. Continue your visual examination. Next, place your arms on your hips and press to flex your pectoral muscles. Continue your visual examination, searching for major differences in the usual appearance of your breasts.
 
Lying Down Self-Exam
 
Lie down with a pillow placed under the shoulder of the breast you’re examining. Lift the arm on the side of the breast you’re examining until your bicep is beside your ear. Use the three middle fingers of your opposite hand (i.e. ring, middle, index) to make a flat surface. Using the flat surface of the pads of your fingers, palpate the entire breast area, including the armpit. You can use varying degrees of pressure. You can use an up-down motion, make circles, or radiate your palpitation outward from the nipple. Finally, squeeze each nipple to check for blood or discharge.
 
After the Talk
 
What happens after the talk is just as important as the actual conversation. At this point, your child will go off to process the information and perform a self-examination alone. Especially in the beginning, self-examinations can be the catalyst of worry. This next section will help you handle the emotions which might come up as a result of a self-exam.
 
Managing Fear
 
Self-exams shouldn’t be a source of anxiety. In fact, they’re a wonderful tool for assuaging anxiety. Self-exams cannot rule out the possibility of having breast cancer. To rule out any foreign masses, you or your child would need to have a mammogram performed by a doctor. However, self-exams give us a small amount of power in the knowledge they imbue. With an understanding of our own body and what’s “normal” for us, we’re equipped to notice when something goes awry. 
 
And, even when something does go awry, it’s not always a reason to panic. Eight out of ten lumps are not cancerous. They can be cysts or benign tumors or even just particularly dense sections of breast tissue. 
 
Self-exams take five to ten minutes and only need to be completed once a month. As women, we have a responsibility to ourselves to check in with our own bodies. This is how we manage our health. Fear is most often born out of a lack of knowledge. With regular self-exams, we’re collecting knowledge about ourselves and managing our fear.
 
Assuage and Anticipate
 
Even equipped with the proper knowledge and relevant statistics, self-exams can bring up a lot of guessing and wondering. In the weeks or months following your conversation, check-in with your daughter. Of course, gauge her willingness to continue the conversation first. You might ask her how she’s feeling about her self-exams. Does she have any questions? Even if you’re not able to answer her questions and concerns, you can both take a trip to the doctor’s office and learn about breast health together. 
 

 
Discussing your daughter’s health care concerns doesn’t have to be done alone. Consulting with a healthcare professional can help assuage any fears which might arise after beginning self-exams. That’s why The Breast Place offers consultations concerning breast pain, breast lumps or masses, abcesses and nipple discharge. Our physicians can show you and your daughter how to properly perform a self-exam and run family history risk assessments to see if you’re genetically predisposed to certain forms of breast cancer. 
 
If you or your daughter do encounter a lump, don’t panic. Instead, schedule an appointment as soon as you’re able. The Breast Place offers several breast imaging services, including: mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs. Whether you have dense breast tissue or have had an abnormal mammogram, we can assist you in deciding what the next step in your healthcare journey should be and facilitate the necessary care. We’re here to help!

 We have all been told at least once the miracle ingredient we need to add to our skin care regimen… SUNSCREEN! SUNSCREEN! SUNSCREEN!

I, like many of us from my “era”, worshiped the sun as a teenager. I cringe when I think about life-guarding 10 hour shifts covered in baby oil; and how every spring break and summer started with a 3rd degree burn. If the SPF in my tropical tanning oil was higher than a 4, and didn’t smell like Hawaii, it wasn’t going in my pool bag.

Turning 40 exposed all those years of abusing my skin with emerging hyper-pigmentation, dark spots, and broken capillaries. Now, the one item that I won't leave the house without is a BROAD SPECTRUM sunscreen with Zinc. Zinc sits on the top of the skin and starts protecting you immediately when applied. Broad spectrum SPF refers to sunscreens that protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Even with a high SPF (sun protection factor), if a sunscreen isn’t broad spectrum, you won’t be protected from UVA rays. It’s important to protect from both types of UV rays because they damage your skin differently. Here is a short breakdown:

• UVB has a B for “burning” – these rays cause sunburn, aging, and potentially skin cancer
• UVA has an A for “aging” – these rays cause wrinkles and potentially skin cancer (although less than UVB) after repeated exposure. UVA rays make up more than 90% of all UV radiation, and penetrate clouds and glass, year-round.

Dermatologists and Plastic Surgeons all over the world concur that sunscreens containing zinc are the only real way to prevent skin damage and premature aging. It is extremely important to note that ALL skin types are susceptible to skin cancer. Now there is even research suggesting Blue Light (highly visible light), which causes hyper-pigmentation, is also emitted from the screens on our computers, laptops , and mobile phones. Another reason to slather up with a zinc based sunscreen before you go to school or
work! If these reasons don’t persuade you, let the coral reefs be a reason to use an environmentally safe zinc based sunscreen. Chemically based sunscreens break down coral, causing it to lose its nutrients, turn ghostly white or bleach and often die or become unable to reproduce. 

It's so easy to get sucked into our cellphones. These handy and incredible objects that can connect us to the world and give us so much information in mere seconds can offer comfort, connection, fun, and a way to express ourselves. But does this stay true during your diagnosis, treatment, and afterward? Is there such a thing as too much screen time?

The unknown during diagnosis, treatment, and after can be one of the most painful parts of your journey. Finding the right kind of support and spending your time as you wish during your journey can be a battle in itself.  Panic, fear, and doubt are a part of your everyday life, on top of trying to live your life as normally as you possibly can. Eliminating the negative things and people in your life during this time can be a very difficult decision to make. It can add another layer of worry and doubt to your life while trying to live and heal according to the societal norms around you. But what good are those negative people are things doing for you? Giving you extra stress, worry, hurting you, and possibly even making you angry? Why would you want someone like that in your life? The same thing applies to the cellphone that has casually become a permanent staple in your hand, back pocket, or bag.

We spend hours of our day scrolling mindlessly through our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts or on news sites, playing games, or surfing the web. We love posting about our families, the exciting things we're doing, looking up recipes, shopping on Amazon, and keeping up to date on the news. When going through treatment and afterward, social media and our connection to it can be a great form of comfort, reassurance, and an extension of learning more about what's happening in your body. There are so many inspiring Facebook pages and groups waiting to welcome you in with open arms, Instagram accounts that will keep you inspired, and brilliant websites to read and podcasts to listen to that will educate and comfort you on this journey. But what about everything else in between? How much time should you be spending on your phone, and when does it become a little too much? Is too much screen time a good thing or a band thing during your road to recovery or through treatment? This is an emerging topic that might cause a dispute or two. As you consider your path and choice of time spent on your phone, here are some things to consider and think about.

• IT'S ALL PERFECT

We've talked about the struggles of trying to keep up with the normalcy of your life while going through treatment. That even though you've been diagnosed with something very scary and difficult, you've started invasive treatments that can leave you exhausted and sick, society pressures you to keep on going, caring for your family and your job as if nothing has changed. You can do this all on your own, right? First of all, as we've said many times before, you have to flush the idea of "normal". There is no one way you should be dealing with your diagnosis or treatment, how you care for your family, or live your life through it all. You make those decisions to better your quality of life. But where does that pressure to look and live that perfect life come from? One of its many sources is social media.

You may be following others on social media platforms that are going through a journey similar to yours. But, some of these people make it look easy, that it's not a huge challenge, and their pictures are inspiring or beautiful while doing it. Remember, what you post online is under your control. Filters are there to make everything look exactly how you want it to. You can control every aspect of your pictures and leave the imperfection and ugly behind. The days you get bad news, feel sick, don't look or feel like yourself, the messy house, the distraught or frustrated family members, might be left out of their posts. Even if they don't show these things, it's all still there, just like you. Seeing these cultivated and perfectly inspired posts over and over again can either keep you inspired or weigh heavily on you. Thoughts of doubt, comparison, and low self-esteem can become a daily part of your experience with social media. These posts can make you question why your life and journey doesn't look as easy or as inspiring as others, and make you question why it's not like that for you.

When comparison starts getting in the way, we suggest that it's time to put your phone down. Granted, these posts, these blogs, Facebook groups, and anywhere you can find a connection are there to serve a wonderful purpose. But when that purpose no longer applies to you or when it's making your journey more difficult or upsetting in any way, it might be time to reevaluate why this amount of screen time and what you're doing on your phone is important.

• TIME

It's so easy to let the hours disappear while you're scrolling or reading online. How many times have you opened your favorite social media app to check or post something and all of a sudden an hour or two is gone. How did that happen? Hours and time can become precious while on this journey. It is also time that needs to be used to rest and recover. It's so easy to pick up your phone and scroll when you can't sleep. Those hours can slip away and prevent you from getting the rest that you need to keep up your winning battle. Be good to yourself, you deserve the time to rest.

• THE CHATTER

Phone calls, text messages, emails, messenger; these are all wonderful ways to stay in contact with your loved ones and to keep them updated on your journey. You can spend hours every day answering or making calls, responding to messages, and sending emails. It can be therapeutic for both you and those receiving them. It's also ok to set time limits on when you're going to be on your phone talking about your diagnosis or treatment. You can set up time slots for when you're going to be answering these calls and messages, and when you're not. There is no need to feel guilty for doing so. You don't need to give any explanation for making that decision. The hours and time you spend on the phone repeating the same information over and over again can be an emotionally draining experience. You are allowed to decide what times during the day is best for you to talk on the phone and when your phone will be put down.

• THE SCIENCE

There has been no proven science that being on your phone too long or storing it in your bra will give you breast cancer. Spending large amounts of time on your phone has been linked to headaches, stress, anxiety, depression, short temper, a shortened attention span, and damage to your eyes. None of these things are enjoyable when you're in your best shape, let alone dealing with breast cancer. You already have enough on your plate, why add more to that?
​

• EASE

With all of this being said, there are plenty of benefits to screen time. As I mentioned above, there is a lot of comfort and education you can glean from your time on the web. It's also a way to share your journey, not only with your loved ones but with those you can help educate and inspire with your story. When choosing how much screen time you have in your life, make the choice mindfully. It's not a bad thing for you, but always choose your screen time for the positive reasons all of it was created for.

As in any decision you make while on your journey, make it for you. If you enjoy spending time on your phone, spend time on your phone! These are your decisions to make, so make them proudly. As you live through your diagnosis, treatment, and beyond, give yourself the joy and happiness you deserve in the best ways you can. We are here to give you the support you need, answer the questions you have, and guide you on the journey you want. Say yes to what to want, and allow yourself to say no to the things that are getting in the way of your life.