BANGOR, Maine — You may start seeing a lot more pink than normal. Oct. 1 marks the start of Breast Cancer Awareness month, with the pink ribbon being the universal symbol of breast cancer awareness.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes.
Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers among women in the state of Maine and Joyce Remeschatis gives advice for when female's should start getting check ups.
"It's somewhere around fifty years old, but it depends on your family history," Remeschatis said.
Remeschatis is a Registered Nurse, Nurse Navigator for the Breast and Osteoporosis center at Northern Light in Bangor and the Breast Surgical Specialist at Northern Light in Brewer.
Getting regular check ups is a suggestion made by every nurse, and doctor when discussing breast cancer, and its for a reason.
"You can't tell if anything is wrong, and that's the importance of the regular screening mammograms, and the importance of following through if you've been recommended to have more often mammograms. By the time the mass is felt, it's of a significant size."
In her 36-year nursing career, the technology for detecting breast cancer has increased tremendously, obviously helping the patient, but also helping medical professionals figure out what is wrong with the breast tissue.
New machines can look at Mammogram readings in 3-D technology allowing nurses and doctors to look inside the breast tissue and find problems easier.
Breast cancer may be found more often in females, but males are also at risk, and mammograms are suggested for men who may have a family history of breast cancer, or just as a check up.
As you see NFL players with pink gloves, or baseball players with pink bats, or a pink ribbon here and there, know it is for awareness, and if you or someone you know is at risk of breast cancer, get checked.
