October is BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH and it is critical to make aware the importance of both the home and annual doctors' breast exams for women. This page has a series of links to issues such as the known probable risk factors for those susceptible to breast cancer as well as the best known defenses not only to detect but prevent this very curable disease.

On a personal note, my mom was diagnosed positive last month for having stage one breast cancer and is currently undergoing treatment.

Since she and her doctors were able to diagnose this cancer in such an early stage through her routine annual exam, her prognosis is very good. At this time she will be able to avoid a radical mastectomy and we are hopeful that she will only have to undergo radiation treatment and can avoid the chemotherapy treatment.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS WAS KEY TO THIS!

Please perform a self exam and schedule an exam with your doctor which is the simplest of ways to prevent this disease. You have a lot to lose and everything to gain.

Men, please tell your spouse, mothers, daughters, and friends about the urgent nature of diagnosing this disease and preventing it or second best, diagnosing it in the earliest possible stage as is evident in my mom's case.

The best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages is to routinely check your breasts for signs and symptoms of the disease. Click here for more information on routine exams.

Most women have more than one known risk factor for developing breast cancer, yet will never get the disease. Click here for more information on the risks.

I have posted more information on breast cancer on my website at www.REMEMBERJIM.com where you can find a series of links, articles and downloads . Feel free to call me at 773.252.HOME and I can send you more information or help you with these links/dowloads.

Thanks for reading and if this information is not applicable to you please pass it on to someone who could use it. This information was taken in part from the Susan G Komen website which can be found at http://www.komen.org.

Regards,

Jim Gramata