We’ve all heard the statistics on breast cancer. But that doesn’t make them any less staggering.
According to Luke Smith, public health educator with the Health Department, statistics show that in 2025, more than 70 Sampson County women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and eight or more will ultimately die as a result. Within our small communities, that number feels even more daunting. After all, one of those 70 people could be your best friend, your sister, your mother, your wife or perhaps even you.
That’s why it is so important to stay in touch with your health. Get your yearly mammogram, do your monthly breast self-exam and always err on the side of the caution. As the old saying goes, better safe than sorry. If you think you might have a lump, the best possible thing you can do is check with your doctor and go have a mammogram, if your physician sees fit to order one. You might end up feeling silly if it turns out to be nothing to worry about, but isn’t it far better to know for sure?
One of The Sampson Independent staff is currently waiting on a call to schedule an ultrasound to further examine an 11-millimeter nodule discovered in her breast during a routine mammogram. The waiting and not knowing can be torturous, but no doubt she will feel better when it’s over with and she knows whether or not the nodule is a tumor, or just one of those spots that shows up in a person’s body and doesn’t mean anything disastrous. The key here is to know for sure. No matter what the results, she will feel relieved just to know.
Of course, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and soon, there will be pink ribbons everywhere, with reminders for women to schedule their mammogram and stay in tune with their breast health. In this very newspaper, we will have content every Saturday this month to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and one more special section on the final Wednesday of the month, to close out the observance. We’ll share survivor stories, information on the latest detection and treatment options, and services available locally for those dealing with cancer or having survived it many years ago.
All of the awareness is great, but don’t let it end with the trick-or-treaters on Oct. 31. Make sure to be mindful of any potential lumps or changes in your breasts year-round.
Technology these days is more advanced than it’s ever been, with 3D mammograms now available to detect problems within even the most dense and fibrous breasts. As mentioned above, there are also ultrasounds to get an even closer look at what’s going on inside, beyond the naked eye. Biopsies can be conducted without surgery. And, if surgery is needed, it’s much more likely to be successful than in years past.
Still, breast cancer can be a deadly disease, and one that every woman — and man, for that matter — should be aware of. Not just in October and not just by wearing a pink ribbon. Be aware, be supportive of your loved ones who may develop breast cancer, and always make sure to make your own health a priority, too.
So, think pink — now, and always.