It can be called an annual physical exam, a general physical exam, or a wellness visit. This visit gives you a chance to connect with your health care provider, update your provider on your health, and plan for future preventive healthcare. Having a physical exam checklist is a good way … Read More
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so all across America, you may have noticed pink as the prevailing color—in grocery stores, restaurants, Internet blogs, Facebook photos, and even NFL games. It's all part of an annual effort to raise awareness about the disease. “Race for the Cure” events alone raise … Read More
Calcium is an essential component of a person’s body chemistry. Almost all of it is in our bones and teeth, providing both with strength. The rest is present throughout tissues, organs, and cells. Almost every cell in our body uses calcium in some way. But collections of these tiny crystals—calcium … Read More
Once you’ve received the sobering news that you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, the next step is to discuss a personalized breast cancer treatment plan with your medical team. Your doctor’s recommendations will involve many factors, including your age, medical history, the type, location, and size of the cancer, and … Read More
Each year, some 230,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in American women, and about one in eight American women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point. Breast cancer represents the second-most common cancer in women after skin cancer, and it’s the second-leading cause of death in women … Read More
It’s ironic that while many people are avoiding the doctor for fear of what it will cost, some medical experts are debating the value of the one “free” aspect of the Affordable Care Act: an annual physical (a.k.a. preventative exam) and appropriate screening tests. The annual physical and screening tests … Read More
For years, the mammogram has served as the primary tool for breast cancer screening. Mammography can identify breast cancer in its earliest stages, when it is smaller and has not spread beyond the breast. In the search for a potential alternative to mammogram screening, researchers are studying other tests, such … Read More
Three-quarters of women are thought to suffer from breast pain (also called “mastalgia”) at some point in their lives, and many automatically assume that it could red-flag breast cancer. However, breast pain isn’t typically a symptom of breast cancer. Breast pain can manifest as slight tenderness, a dull, heavy ache, … Read More
To a weight-conscious woman, fat isn’t a good thing. But when it comes to finding breast cancer, fat may be your friend. That’s because having more fatty tissue in the breast makes it easier to identify breast cancer on a mammogram. Conversely, having more dense breast tissue makes this task … Read More
Confused about how often to get a mammogram? Some newly updated guidelines may help. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that women ages 50 to 74 undergo mammography screening every two years. The USPSTF notes that mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 50 are effective, … Read More
