Raising Breast Cancer Awareness

While cancer is a broad term used to categorize abnormal cells, it is important to understand the specific versions of cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and can affect women of various ages. Our bodies are made up of various tissues and as they continue to grow, some of those tissues can develop wrong. For women, when this development goes south, tumors or lumps form. Although some of these growths can be benign, other ones grow to be malignant. As the most common form of cancer for women, an average of 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. It is true that men can be diagnosed with this form of cancer, however it is rare. What we can do as a society is continue to educate children, teens and adults about what breast cancer is and how we continue to raise awareness.

With more research being done to discover what causes cancer, or even what cures cancer, there are many misconceptions that put many people in a state of fear. Per the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the top five misconceptions causes of breast cancer are the following:

• Caffeine
• Deodorant
• Microwaves
• Cell Phones
• Contact with Someone who has Cancer

Although there are these common misunderstandings, there are certain risk factors that would put some men and women in more danger than others. Risk factors are broken down into two categories: genetic and environmental. Genetic factors are those that cannot be prevented or changed, unfortunately. Under this category, these specific categories are considered: age, race, family history, personal health history, and early or late menstruation.

The other category under risks is environmental factors. This section is much more manageable for men and women because their life choices are up to them. Most common risk factors that should be avoided include, but are not limited to the following: lack of physical activity, poor diet, drinking alcohol, radiation to the chest, and being overweight or obese.

With October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Healics is here to bring more discussion surrounding what Breast Cancer is and how you can move forward with preventing it. For further information, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation at their homepage at http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/.

How Healics Can Help

Whether you are a company of two or 10,000, Healics can team with you to develop comprehensive wellness and coaching programs that help your employees diminish their health risks.

Call us at 1-800-HEALICS today or contact us now to discuss health coaching solutions and ways you can provide your staff with the resources they need to live healthier, happier, more vibrant lives.