Breast Cancer Screening For Women

News From Senator Shirley L. Huntley
For Immediate Release: April 20, 2010
Contact: Ami Shah | shah@senate.state.ny.us | 518-455-3531

Senator Shirley L. Huntley Urges Breast Cancer Screening For Women

Senator Shirley L. Huntley (D-Jamaica) has joined with the Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program in their annual Mother’s Day campaign to urge women to get mammograms. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breasts to detect any abnormalities. During the procedure, the breast is pressed between two plates to flatten and spread the tissue. Slight pressure is felt for a few seconds. The procedure is quick and simple.

Early detection is the best form of prevention. Often times, catching cancer early means less invasive treatment, less risk, an increase of survival rates, and more options. “Mother’s Day is a significant time to remind women to get mammograms,” says Senator Huntley. “I hope that this Mother’s Day women will take the time to make an appointment for a mammogram. Approximately 95 percent of all mammograms prove to be normal.”

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2009, there were 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 40,170 deaths as a result of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. Therefore, it is recommended that women over the age of 40 years should get a mammogram. Women in their 20’s and 30’s should get a clinical breast exam every three years by a doctor or a qualified nurse. Women should also learn to conduct a self breast exam to become familiarized with their breast in order to be able to note any changes that may occur.

Some symptoms of breast cancer may include:

•  swelling of all or part of the breast
• skin irritation or dimpling
•  breast pain
•  nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
•  redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
• a nipple discharge other than breast milk

The hotline marks its 30th anniversary this year. It is a project of the Adelphi University School of Social Work on Long Island. All services are free and confidential. Please visit www.adelphi.edu/nysbreastcancer for more information and to locate an accredited mammography facility nearby, call the Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program at 800-877-8077. Callers can also get emotional support from the hotline’s specially trained volunteers, most of who are women who have had breast cancer.