PriMed Internal Medicine of Trumbull celebrates National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in pink. From left to right (top): Dr. William Hulcher, Dr. Arnold Peterson, Dr. Guido Napolitano, Candace Diaz, Joanne Toth, Denise McNamara, Evelyn Mensah, and Amy Raveis.
In recognition of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness month, the PriMed family of providers is dedicated to educating women on the importance of early detection through regular screenings to help combat the disease.
Since the breast cancer awareness program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined. Even with this progress though, there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection.
“Breast cancer is most treatable when it’s found early through regular mammograms and clinical breast exams,” says Dr. Guido Napolitano of PriMed Internal Medicine in Trumbull, CT. “The best way for women to lower their risk of dying from the disease is through regular screening, along with monthly self-exams.”
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States (other than skin cancer) and in 2011, more than 230,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer. But, with the increased awareness and education of the disease, more and more women are regularly screened resulting in the decline of breast cancer deaths.
Another way to help in the fight against breast cancer is to encourage the women in your life to receive mammograms on a regular basis. Many more lives can be saved if even more women went for regular screening, which improves their chance of the disease being diagnosed early and consequently, treating it more successfully.
For more information and resources on breast cancer, visit these websites below.
Breast Cancer Network of Strength®
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
National Breast Cancer Foundation
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer booklet by the National Cancer Institute
