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                         October 4, 2002

Awareness important in stopping breast cancer

Commentary by Lt. Col. Col. Mike Bayles
USMA Community Health Nurse

October marks the 17th anniversary of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older (from 25 percent in 1987 to 67 percent in 1997) and breast cancer deaths have declined by 1.8 percent each year since 1992.

This is exciting progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection (such as monthly breast self-examination) at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

Women should begin the habit of examining their breasts each month as early as their teens. Speak with your Primary Care Manager for more information.

A clinical breast exam should be done each year.

Beginning at age 40 for most women, the American College of Radiologists recommends that a mammography exam be performed at about the same time each year. This might need to be done sooner as part of a workup for an abnormality or when a first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Your PCM can schedule a mammogram.

"If all women age 40 and older took advantage of early detection methods -- monthly self breast exam, yearly clinical breast exam and mammography, breast cancer death rates would drop much further, perhaps as much as 30 percent," said Lt. Col. Italo Bastianelli, DO, a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Keller Army Community Hospital. "The key to screening is that it be done routinely."

National Mammography Day is Oct. 18. Your PCM can handle all of your well-woman needs, including Pap smear, clinical breast exam and mammography scheduling. For an appointment, call the TRICARE Service Center (888) 999-5195.

For more information about breast cancer and early detection, call one of the following toll-free numbers:

American Cancer Society, (800) 227-2345, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, (800) 462-9273, National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO), (888) 80-NABCO, National Cancer Institute (NCI), (800) 4-CANCER, Y-me National Breast Cancer Organization, (800) 221-2141.

TRICARE beneficiaries are also entitled to speak with someone at the Health Care Advice and Education Service. Callers can choose between speaking with an RN (For nurse advice 24 hours a day, call 1 (800) 308-3518 and press "1") and listening to a tape on breast cancer and many other health subjects from the Health Information Library.

KACH also has a Case Manager, Lauren Incontrera, who can answer questions about a person’s risk for breast cancer. Breast self- examination classes will be held Thurs. and Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to noon and Oct. 15 and 22, 1 to 2 p.m. All classes will be in the KACH 4th floor MSU Conference Room. Call 938-8282 for more information.