CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Early detection of breast cancer can literally save your life. As treatments improve, so do survival rates for those diagnosed with the disease.
"Every two minutes, one woman in this country is diagnosed with breast cancer," Dr. Salim Surani said. "The key thing is, if we can diagnose it early, we can prevent this deadly disease."
There is a 99 percent 5-year survival rate for those with localized breast cancer, where there is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the breast, according to the American Cancer Society.
"3.8 million people are surviving breast cancer in this country," Surani said. "If we can work on screening tests, if we can watch our symptoms, if we can create more awareness... we never have to come to a point where we are looking at metastatic cancer."
The American Cancer Society said the most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass, but other symptoms are also possible, including:
- Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no lump is felt)
- Skin dimpling (sometimes looking like an orange peel)
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple retraction (turning inward)
- Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking, or thickened
- Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)
- Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collar bone (Sometimes this can be a sign of breast cancer spread even before the original tumor in the breast is large enough to be felt.)
The most important way to check for breast cancer is through screening, like a mammogram.
Surani said some things that can increase your risk of developing breast cancer are family history, alcohol consumption, hormone therapy and obesity.
First Friday is a Coastal Bend organization that helps women get breast cancer screening who otherwise not be able to afford it.
"A lot of times they are working but they're just not offered insurance. Or it could be someone who's working that has a thousand dollar deductible. We will approve them," said Leticia Zirbes, Chair of the non-profit.
To see if you qualify for a free mammogram, call 361-985-5600.
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