| The key
to surviving breast cancer is early detection
and treatment. According to the American Cancer
Society, when breast cancer is confined to the
breast, the five-year survival rate is close to
100%. The early detection of breast cancer helps
reduce the need for therapeutic treatment and
minimizes pain and suffering, allowing women to
continue leading happy, productive lives.
Beginning
at the age of 20, every woman should practice
monthly
breast self-exams
and begin a routine program of breast health,
including scheduling physician performed
clinical breast exams at least every three
years. As a woman ages, her risk of breast
cancer also increases. About 77% of women with
breast cancer are over age 50 at the time of
diagnosis. Women between the ages of 20 and 29
account for only 0.3% of breast cancer cases.
Beginning at the age of 40, all women should
have annual screening mammograms, and practice
breast self-exams every month.
OSTEOPOROSIS
Besides Mammography LRA's Wellness Imaging
Center is a comprehensive facility for the
screening of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a
major public health threat for 28 million
Americans, 80% of whom are women. It can
progress without symptoms or pain until a
fracture occurs, typically in the hip, spine, or
wrist.
WIC has both
heel scans and full body scans available to
check for signs of osteoporosis. |