4 Simple Steps to a Breast Cancer Early Detection Plan

Early detection of breast cancer is proven to save lives. When found early, the five-year survival rate is 96 percent! More than 2 million breast cancer survivors alive today are living proof of that statistic. So it's easy to see why an early detection plan is so important.

"Early detection can mean a matter of life and death," says Janelle Hail, CEO of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. "Today I am not only alive, but healthy and enjoying a full life due to the early detection of breast cancer 28 years ago." Follow our simple steps to your own early detection plan. Step 1: Learn how to do a breast self-exam. Knowing how to do a breast self-examination can help you gain familiarity with your breasts to identify changes in texture or the presence of a lump. (See Breast Self-examination excerpt below.) Step 2: Get a calendar and choose consistency. Get a personal calendar to record your self-examinations, mammograms and doctor appointments. Simplify scheduling by being consistent. For example, choose the first day of each calendar month to do your breast self-examinations. For clinical breast examinations and mammograms, choose your birthday month every year or choose based on the schedule below. That way, you'll never miss an exam. Step 3: Create your plan. "An Early Detection Plan gives women a sense of control over increased options of their health care," says Hail. "It empowers women to take care of themselves and to live a healthy life." Get started on your plan using the guidelines below. Beginning at Age 20 Breast self-examinations — monthly beginning at age 20 (These are not a substitute for clinical examinations per schedule below.) Clinical breast examinations — every three years beginning at age 20 Beginning at Age 40 Breast self-examinations — monthly Clinical breast examinations — yearly beginning at age 40 Mammograms — Get a baseline mammogram at the age of 40. Get a mammogram every one to two years from ages 40 to 49, depending on previous findings. Beginning at Age 50 Breast self-examinations — monthly Clinical breast examinations — yearly Mammograms — yearly beginning at age 50 Step 4: Make healthy lifestyle choices. To be proactive, it is important to: Eat a nutritious, low-fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. A high-fat diet increases the risk of breast cancer because fat triggers the hormone estrogen, which fuels tumor growth. Exercise to rev up your immune system and cut estrogen levels. Exercising four hours per week can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. How Is P&G Involved? In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, P&G brands will make a combined donation of $250,000 to support the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation to provide mammograms for those in need. To build on the P&G theme of "Touching lives, improving life," specially marked packages from the P&G brands in proud support of the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation will be available in stores this month. Pass It Along If you are going through breast cancer, are a survivor, or have a friend or family member with breast cancer, you can join the NBCF online community, where you can connect with a community of peers, find encouragement and support, and get answers to your questions. Everyone should have an early detection plan. What's yours?  Breast Self-examination "To perform a breast self-examination, a woman should lie down and place her right arm behind her head to begin examining her right breast. "Next, using her finger pads of the middle three fingers (index, middle and ring fingers) of her opposite (left) hand, the woman uses tiny circular motions over the entire breast area. "During the breast self-examination, the breast area is examined with three different levels of pressure. "The American Cancer Society® recommends the examination of the breast be performed using a vertical pattern, which helps ensure that no area is missed. "After the breast has been examined, it is important for a woman to also examine each underarm for any lumps or signs of enlarged lymph nodes." Read the full article. Please note: A breast self-examination (BSE) is not a replacement for clinical breast examinations (CBE) and mammograms. These three screening tools serve together as part of your plan. It is highly recommended that you receive the proper instruction from a nurse, physician or trained health care professional and use the above only as a refresher.  — Excerpt from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF)

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