Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women, about 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Each year, over 2,000 men are also diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What is the survival rate if breast cancer is detected early?
When Breast Cancer is detected early, in the localized stage, the 5-year survival rate is 98%.
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How is breast cancer detected?
A mammogram, an x-ray screening test for breast cancer, can find breast cancer early. There are other ways to detect breast cancer without a mammogram:
* Clinical Breast Exam (CBE), about every three years as part of a general health exam.
* Breast self-exam, on a regular basis lets you become familiar with your breasts so you will notice any changes.
What is it like to be a breast cancer survivor?
When Michelle Teel turned 30, she was doing a self breast exam and noticed a lump in her right breast that felt like a marble. A mammogram and biopsy confirmed the lump was cancer.
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At 31, Teel underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction of her breasts. She experienced side effects from the chemotherapy that included nausea, fatigue, and loss of her hair, including most of her eyebrows.
“I try to see the positives in this whole thing,” said Teel, whose mother is also a breast cancer survivor. “It makes it less weird for your friends.”
Early detection saved Michelle’s life.