October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about breast cancer, encourage early detection, and remind women and men of the importance of taking care of their breast health.

As a healthcare professional who has spent more than 35 years helping women in our community with their breast health, I would like to share some important facts and encourage everyone to make breast health a priority.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and the second most common cancer among women in the United States, following non-melanoma skin cancer.

Approximately 320,000 women in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, and an estimated 42,000 women will die from the disease. Over a woman's lifetime, approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Although less common, men can develop breast cancer as well, with approximately one in 100 men facing a diagnosis during their lifetime. Perhaps one of the most surprising facts is that more than 80 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease…. READ MORE….