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My Health
Finding cancer early is the best way to treat it and beat it.
Get the facts to stay healthy and cancer-free.
Here are three important steps every woman should take:
•
Learn your
risk and lifestyle factors.
•
Learn ho
w to prevent breast and cervical cancer.
•
Get regular
screenings.
Breast and cervical cancer
What all women
need to know
Breast cancer fast facts
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women no
matter your race or ethnic group. Be sure to get screenings.
Speak to your doctor about how often you should get them.
See the list below.
Risk and lifestyle factors
•
•
Getting older
•
•
Being overweight
•
•
Drinking alcohol
•
•
Not getting regular exercise
•
•
Having your menstrual period before age 12
•
•
Giving birth to your first child after age 35
•
•
Never giving birth
•
•
Not breastfeeding
•
•
Starting menopause by age 55
•
•
Family or personal history of breast cancer
•
•
Having changes in the breast cancer-related genes BRCA1
or BRCA2
•
•
Treatment with radiation therapy to the breast or chest
•
•
Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy
Screenings
•
•
Mammogram
•
•
Clinical breast exam
•
•
Breast self-exam (check your breasts often for changes
and lumps)
Prevention
•
•
Get screened for breast cancer regularly.
•
•
Control your weight and get exercise.
•
•
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
•
•
Know your family history of breast cancer.
•
•
Find out the risks and benefits of hormone
replacement therapy.
Cervical cancer fast facts
One key thing you can do to help prevent cervical cancer is
to have regular screenings. Speak to your doctor about how
often you should get them. See the list below.
Risk and lifestyle factors
•
•
Smoking
•
•
Using birth control pills for five or more years
•
•
Having given birth to three or more children
•
•
Having HIV infection
Screenings
•
•
The Pap test, or Pap smear
•
•
Ask your doctor if the human papillomavirus (HPV) test is
right for you.
Prevention
•
•
Don’t smoke.
•
•
Use condoms during sex.
•
•
Limit your number of sexual partners.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Breast and Gynecological
Cancers
:
CDC.gov