Beating Breast Cancer Through Awareness: Pinktober 2016

As most people probably know by now, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and as part of the campaign, organizations around the world are trying to educate people about the risks of the disease by sporting pink ribbons as a way of solidarity for those who are battling this type of cancer.

But why is awareness very important for breast cancer? According to Gulf News, there is no way to overemphasize the fact that early intervention alone can dramatically increase the chances of surviving breast cancer, and the cure for early stages is at 99 percent. Every year, the net of the group with high risk of developing the disease just gets higher - especially because these days, the disease is not limited to women in their menopausal stage. Even people in their early thirties, who are under hormonal pills or birth control treatments, can likely develop the disease, and would require periodic screening.

Dr. Mark Baganz, the owner of the Chesapeake Medical Imaging Centers in Maryland told The Huffington Post, "Many cancers we find today would have been invisible years ago. We are hoping that the 3D mammogram becomes a standard procedure. The science is so supportive."

He noted that in a study published in the June 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that 41 percent increase in invasive cancers can be detected with 3D mammography, as well as 29 percent in breast cancers.

This is especially important because according to the American Cancer Society, early stages of breast cancer do not show symptoms, and usually, when tumors are large enough to be felt, the cancer has already spread to other parts near the breast, like the underarm lymph nodes.

That being said, early detection as a way of prevention is better than cure: this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, love your breasts, and get a 3D mammogram now.