Breast health is an important part of a woman’s overall health and well-being. Regular breast exams should be a part of annual check-ups at all ages. Changes in the breast – discharge, lumps, skin appearance – are also worthy of medical attention. When you need breast health care, look no further than Logansport Memorial Hospital.
The Breast Center at Logansport Memorial Hospital provides comprehensive breast screening, diagnosis and treatment options. Our dedicated physicians and nurses give compassionate, expert care for a full range of breast health needs.
Breast health is an area where proactive care is key. Proactive health care means being aware of changes to your body and taking action when necessary. Proactive breast health means:
- Knowing about breast cancer risk factors
- Understanding your personal risk of breast cancer
- Being informed about screening for the earlier detection of breast cancer
Breast cancer risk factors
Risk factors are not fool-proof predictors of cancer but they do give us things to watch for and help us all be more aware of potential issues. Some women with risk factors never develop cancer. Others with breast cancer have never displayed a risk factor. Regardless, risk factors do provide earmarks that help us be proactive in care and monitor our health.
Use our calculator to determine your risk of developing cancer in the next five years.
Some risk factors are genetic or natural:
- Gender: While men can develop breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society women are 100 times more likely to have breast cancer.
- Age: Risk of breast cancer increases as we age.
- Genetics: Gene mutations do cause a certain percentage of breast cancers and in some cases, breast cancer is believed to be genetic – when one of these mutations is inherited from a parent.
- Family history: The risk of developing cancer is higher among women whose close blood relatives have had the disease.
- Personal history: The risk of developing cancer is higher among women who have had cancer in one breast.
Other risk factors are related to personal choices:
- Hormone therapy or birth control: Hormones used in these medications have been shown to increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
- Drinking alcohol: Women who have 2-5 drinks daily have a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer.
- Weight/obesity: Being overweight, particularly after menopause, can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
For more detail about the risk factors for breast cancer, read this article from the American Cancer Society.
If you are concerned about how these risk factors affect your breast health, make an appointment with one of our breast health physicians.
Screening for early detection
Early detection is one of our most powerful weapons in the fight against cancer. For breast cancer, early detection comes most often from mammograms. Learn more about the importance of screening mammograms.
Cass County resident Joyce Eshelman knows first-hand the importance of screening mammograms. Joyce was leading a normal, fulfilled life in the spring of 2014. Actually, it was a little busier than normal… her only daughter, Katy, was getting married and she was in full wedding-planning mode. Somehow, she was finding time to continue taking care of herself, which included getting her routine mammogram. When she got the news that she had breast cancer, she was just six weeks away from her daughter’s wedding.
Joyce received her treatment here at Logansport Memorial – the mammograms and ultrasounds, procedures and surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. She is so grateful she didn’t have to travel far to receive exceptional care, and it allowed her family to be with her every step of the way. Read Joyce’s story.
You can help women like Joyce get the mammograms they need. Proceeds from our upcoming River Bluff 5K Run & Fun Walk go to the Logansport Memorial Hospital Foundation Breast Screening Fund. This fund supports breast screening mammograms for uninsured women ages 40 and older right here in Cass County.
Take steps towards a cure for breast cancer
Join us for the 2015 River Bluff 5K on October 10! This run and fun walk happens on the beautiful River Bluff Trail along the Eel River and is a fun community event. We hope to see you there!
