October- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
This October, Riverside Surgical Associates is proud to participate in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer in women. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point.
The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early.
- If you are a woman age 40 to 49, talk with your doctor about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get them.
- If you are a woman age 50 to 74, be sure to get a mammogram every 2 years. You may also choose to get them more often.
Talk to a doctor about your risk for breast cancer, especially if a close family member of yours has had breast or ovarian cancer. Your doctor can help you decide when and how often to get mammograms.
- If you have had a mammogram and your primary care physician wants you to follow up with a surgeon, call our office at 978-458-4300 to schedule an appointment. This does not mean that you have breast cancer. One of our surgeons will meet with you and discuss the mammogram findings. They may recommend additional tests such as:
- an ultrasound of the breast,
- a more in-depth mammogram called a diagnostic mammogram,
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),
- or perhaps a breast biopsy. There are a few different types of biopsies. For more information on breast biopsies see Having a Breast Biopsy: A Guide for Women and Their Families from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
- Being diagnosed with breast cancer, or even a questionable mammogram which requires follow-up, can be very frightening. Riverside Surgical Associates and The Cancer Center at Lowell General Hospital will work together to answer your questions and provide you with state-of-the art care.
- Other useful websites and resources:
Cancer Organization- Breast Cancer