October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, share these resources
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The start of October means the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
ABC7 News is highlighting the importance of breast cancer screening and the options you have if you are diagnosed.
According to the federal Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women.
Roughly one in eight women born in the U.S. today will get breast cancer at some point in their lives, the agency said.
RELATED: San Francisco surgeon becomes patient, then survivor of breast cancer
Most women can survive if breast cancer is detected and treated early. Dr. Anne Peled is a San Francisco breast surgeon and a breast cancer survivor. During a recent Modern Mom segment on "Midday Live", Dr. Peled spoke with ABC7's Kristen Sze about the importance of getting checked.
Dr. Peled says she was shocked when she was diagnosed because she had no family history of breast cancer. "I joke that I could write a blog on being a 37-year-old, vegetarian, tri-athlete with no family history. You can still get breast cancer," said Dr. Peled.
It's one of the reasons she is sharing her story.
"I want women to get those lumps checked because unfortunately, they could be something," said Dr. Peled.
Here's how you can do your part to support Breast Cancer Awareness in October.
If you know you want to support the cause but aren't sure where to start, ABC News lays out what you should do in its six-step PLEDGE. People who take the PLEDGE are encouraged to learn more about breast cancer and spread their knowledge and awareness to friends and family.
- PREVENTION: Ask my doctor what steps I can take that could reduce my risk of breast cancer.
- LEARNING: Arm myself with knowledge about my own risks.
- EXAMINATION: With my doctor, find out when I should get screened for breast cancer, and how often.
- DENSITY: Have a conversation with my doctor to see if I have "dense" breasts, and which screening approach is right for me.
- GENETICS: Discuss with my doctor my family history -- both mom's and dad's side -- of breast cancer, to see what it might mean for my level of risk.
- EDUCATE Once I've put these steps into action, "pay it forward" by encouraging friends and family to do it as well.
Start spreading the word to raise awareness about the importance of finding breast cancer early. Here are some local resources to share with family, friends or people within your community:
Stanford Breast Cancer Program: https://stanfordhealthcare.org
UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center: https://www.ucsfhealth.org
Marin Cancer Care: https://www.marincancercare.com/
Breastcancer.org: https://www.breastcancer.org/
American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/
