The day after my 40th birthday, I was required by my
OBGYN to have a breast exam. It was not
my first, but I had not had one in three years.
It was the usual uncomfortable and embarrassingly intrusive mammogram. By the end of the week, I had received a
letter stating that there was a finding on my test, but these types of findings
were usually benign. When I called to
schedule a follow-up appointment, it would be three weeks before I could be
seen. There was also a possibility that I
would need an ultrasound and/or a biopsy during this exam. (At this
point, I realized why – for the past year – I have been drawn to the book of
Mark. This particular book outlines the
miracles of Jesus. The recurrent
statement within these Scriptures is “by your faith, you are healed.” I finally got it!)
My worry had been minimal up to the very point where I sat in
the lobby waiting on my name to be called.
The technician took me in the back and told me that I would get my
results in the next 30 minutes or so from one of the radiologists. After the test, my husband and I sat in the “consult
room”…waiting patiently for the results. After
about 15 minutes the same technician rushed in with good news stating that
there were no findings and they would see me next year. She mentioned that she really didn't know what it was that made these results so different from the last ones, but they didn't see anything on the film. After she left, my husband and I joined hands
and prayed, thanking God for “the good report” we had received.
I decided to share my story because of the importance of early
detection, self-exams, and mammograms as it relates to breast cancer. Many women refuse to go to the doctor for
these tests, even when they know something isn't quite right with their bodies. They fear the test itself, but also the results of the test. It is so important for us to take care of our bodies and to have the necessary
exams regardless of how inconvenient, intrusive, or embarrassing they might be. While I received a clean bill of health, other women I know have not received the best report. Several of my Facebook friends and others I know have either had treatment for breast cancer or are preparing to have treatment. My prayers are with them during this challenging season of their lives.
So today, I encourage everyone to go to the doctor and to get the
required annual exams. Be intentional
about your health and, whatever the report, to function in faith.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace and be freed from your suffering" (Mark 5:34).
·
About 1 in 8 U.S.
women (just over 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of
her lifetime.
·
In 2013, an estimated
232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in
women in the U.S., along with 64,640 new cases of non-invasive breast
cancer.
·
About 2,240 new cases
of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2013. A man’s
lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
·
Breast cancer
incidence rates in the U.S. began decreasing in the year 2000, after increasing
for the previous two decades. They dropped by 7% from 2002 to 2003 alone. One
theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called
the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a
connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk.
·
About 39,620 women in
the U.S. were expected to die in 2013 from breast cancer, though death rates
have been decreasing since 1989 — with larger decreases in women under 50.
These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier
detection through screening, and increased awareness.
·
For women in the U.S.,
breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides
lung cancer.
·
Besides skin cancer,
breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Just
under 30% of cancers in women are breast cancers.
·
White women are
slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women.
However, in women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American
women than white women. Overall, African-American women are more likely to die
of breast cancer. Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women have a lower risk
of developing and dying from breast cancer.
·
In 2013, there were
more than 2.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This
includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.
·
A woman’s risk of
breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother,
sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 15% of women
who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
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