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How to Do a Breast Self-Exam
Read More: How to Do a Breast Self-ExamOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Medically reviewed by Dr. Mary Jane Minkin
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4 Things That Pain in Your Left Boob Might Mean
Read More: 4 Things That Pain in Your Left Boob Might MeanHave you ever felt quick, stabbing pain in your left breast? A pain that comes on fast, but leaves just as quickly? You’re not alone, so we decided to scope out the possible reasons why. Here are four possible causes of this mysterious pain. Pleurisy Pleurisy is a condition that causes sharp, stabbing pain under…
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Anxiety, Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Depression, mental health, Self-Care, Stress
After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Strap In for a Roller-Coaster Ride of Emotions
Read More: After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Strap In for a Roller-Coaster Ride of EmotionsWhen I learned my triple-negative breast cancer had spread into my chest wall, a tidal wave of shock and disbelief crashed over me. As the wave receded, anxiety rolled in. I focused on my survival odds, which I recited to my oncologist: “Fifteen percent without treatment, 50% with treatment.” My doctor encouraged me to use…
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Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About Genetics and Breast Cancer Risk
Read More: Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About Genetics and Breast Cancer RiskMedically reviewed by Dr. Kristen Zarfos About 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary, meaning they come from gene mutations (changes) passed on from a parent. But even if you have a family history, that doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get cancer. Here’s a breakdown of the basics about genetics and breast cancer. Most…
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Breast Cancer, Mama Mode and Me
Read More: Breast Cancer, Mama Mode and MeAs told to Alexandra Frost I told my doctor I had breast cancer before he told me — I’d just finished helping my mom through her own breast cancer journey, I’d had skin cancer before, and I consider myself very in tune with my body. What I wasn’t expecting, however, was the lessons I’d learn…
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Beauty, Breast cancer, Breast health, Hair, Health disparities, Racial disparities, Research, Science
25-Year-Long Study of Black Women Links Frequent Use of Lye-Based Hair Relaxers to a Higher Risk of Breast Cancer
Read More: 25-Year-Long Study of Black Women Links Frequent Use of Lye-Based Hair Relaxers to a Higher Risk of Breast CancerKimberly Bertrand, Boston University The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Frequent and long-term use of lye-based hair straightening products, or relaxers, may increase the risk of breast cancer among Black women, compared with more moderate use. Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study followed 59,000 self-identified African American…
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Your Guide to Breast Health
Read More: Your Guide to Breast HealthFrom the experts at HealthyWomen, this new one-stop hub will help you understand your breasts from the inside out, offering up-to-date information on all aspects of breast health. Visit YOUR GUIDE TO BREAST HEALTH
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Metastatic Breast Cancer
Read More: Metastatic Breast CancerCurrently, around 155,000 women in the U.S. are living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), which means their cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body, such as the bones and the lungs. Also known as “stage 4 breast cancer,” MBS is not curable, but it is treatable, and new targeted therapies…
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8 New Year’s Resolutions To Improve Your Health
Read More: 8 New Year’s Resolutions To Improve Your Health2020 is finally coming to an end, and a new year will soon be upon us. What better time to reset your health and wellness goals? With the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, health and self-care matter more right now than ever. When it comes to making resolutions, it’s important to focus on your physical and mental…
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Finding Hope in the Face of Incurable Breast Cancer
Read More: Finding Hope in the Face of Incurable Breast CancerLast year, an estimated 268,600 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Thanks to better screening, most are diagnosed early in their disease. However, about 6% are diagnosed with metastatic disease, when the cancer has already spread to other sites. In addition, many women learn that the cancer they thought they’d beaten has returned. In…
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Aesthetic Breast Procedures
Read More: Aesthetic Breast ProceduresOverview Our genes are responsible for the breasts we were born with, but we have ways to change how our breasts look and feel. Today, a range of cosmetic (aesthetic) surgery options make it possible to create a breast shape and size that better matches our body’s frame or our personal preference. Here is an…
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Breast Reconstruction
Read More: Breast ReconstructionOverview Of the estimated 330,000 American women who will be diagnosed with in situ or invasive breast cancer this year, many will undergo a mastectomy (surgery that removes the entire breast to treat or prevent breast cancer). Women who get a mastectomy have the option to restore one or both breasts to near normal shape,…
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Breast Cancer
Read More: Breast CancerOverview Defined as a cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancer. While occurring infrequently in men, breast cancer is diagnosed in a U.S. woman, on average, every two minutes and now accounts for 30% of all new cancer diagnoses…
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Options for Breast Reconstruction
Read More: Options for Breast ReconstructionYou and your doctors have decided that the right treatment for your breast cancer is a mastectomy. But then comes the $64,000 question: Do you want reconstruction? There’s a lot to consider when making the decision. Use these questions to help you understand your options. First decision: Should you do it at all? Millions of…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Family planning, Fertility, Infertility, Orgasms, Relationships, Reproductive health, Sex, Sex & relationships
Sex, Fertility and Breast Cancer
Read More: Sex, Fertility and Breast CancerBetween surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, stress, fear and exhaustion, sex may be the last thing on your mind. In fact, you may even be wondering if you’ll ever feel desire again. It’s a huge problem, with studies finding that 60% to 70% of women who have had breast cancer experience treatment-related sexual problems. The cause could…
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Dense Breasts
Read More: Dense BreastsOverview Breast density is a term used to describe the amount of tissue versus fat in the breast. In dense breasts, there is more fibroglandular tissue — the lobules, ducts and connective tissue — and less fat. In general, women whose breasts have more than 50% fibroglandular tissue are said to have high-density or dense…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Prevention, Preventive health
Do You Have Dense Breasts?
Read More: Do You Have Dense Breasts?What kind of breasts do you have? We’re not talking size, but density. Nearly half of all women over age 40 who get mammograms are found to have dense breasts, which means there is a lot of fibrous or glandular tissue and not much fat in the breasts. Glandular tissue produces breast milk, while fibrous…
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Bra or No Bra? Navigating the Post-Mastectomy World
Read More: Bra or No Bra? Navigating the Post-Mastectomy WorldIf you’re like most women, you’ve probably been wearing a bra since you were a young teenager. But now . . . with your breast or breasts lost to breast cancer, you may be wondering if you need to continue. And what if you had reconstruction? These are all good questions. Just after surgery, your…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, healthy aging, Menopause, Perimenopause
What You Need to Know About Menopause and Breast Cancer
Read More: What You Need to Know About Menopause and Breast CancerFive years ago, I felt a lump in my right breast and was later diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. The cancer was hormone positive, so along with chemotherapy, radiation and double mastectomy, I took drugs to block the production of estrogen in my body — and went into early menopause at the age of…
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New Hope for Incurable Breast Cancers
Read More: New Hope for Incurable Breast CancersWhen I was a girl in the 1970s, my best friend’s mom, Ginger* was diagnosed with breast cancer. Back then, treatment was typically a radical mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation. My friend’s mother lived through the treatment, but the cancer returned and metastasized (spread) to her lungs. In the ’80s and ’90s research continued…
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When a Cough Turns Out to Be More Than Just a Cough
Read More: When a Cough Turns Out to Be More Than Just a CoughIn August 2010, I was performing my routine breast self-exam in the shower when I noticed a small, hard mass in my breast. I was immediately concerned, as it definitely felt out of place. After an appointment with my primary care physician, I was referred to a breast surgeon for a biopsy out of an…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Real women real stories, Sex, Sex & relationships, Sexual dysfunction, Sexual health
How I Got My Sexual Groove Back After Surviving Breast Cancer
Read More: How I Got My Sexual Groove Back After Surviving Breast CancerThe call came on a perfectly ordinary evening. I picked up the phone and my doctor said, “I’m sorry. It’s breast cancer.” And for me and my husband, the “year of the sex drought” began. At the time, we’d been married for twenty-four years. As I went through chemotherapy, I lost my hair. I lost…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Health disparities, Prevention, Preventive health
The Breast Cancer Burden for Black Women
Read More: The Breast Cancer Burden for Black WomenTwelve years ago, Maiya Hayes discovered a suspicious mass in her breast during a self-exam. She quickly made an appointment with her gynecologist, who helped schedule the tests that revealed she had stage 3 breast cancer. Her oncologist told her that the aggressive nature of her breast cancer, which had spread to the lymph nodes…
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Breast cancer, Breast cancer policy, Breast cancer survivor, Breast health, Prevention, Preventive health
Do You Have Dense Breasts? Knowing Your Status Could Make a Difference in Your Breast Cancer Screening
Read More: Do You Have Dense Breasts? Knowing Your Status Could Make a Difference in Your Breast Cancer ScreeningAn annual mammogram is an important tool for early detection of breast cancer. When you receive your mammogram results, you might also get a report informing you that you have dense breast tissue. It’s important to pay attention to that status, as women with dense breast tissue are more likely to be diagnosed with breast…
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Breast cancer, Breast health, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Flu shot, Medical tests, Prevention, Preventive health, Vaccinations, Vaccines
Rita Wilson Is on a Mission
Read More: Rita Wilson Is on a MissionRita Wilson never expected to get COVID-19. When the actress, producer, singer/songwriter — and breast cancer survivor — and her husband, Tom Hanks, flew to Australia last winter, she says she took every precaution. Nonetheless, Wilson (63) and Hanks (64) contracted the virus soon after arriving and went public with the news on social media…
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The Great Girlfriends™ Podcast with Dr. Lisa Larkin on Breast Health
Read More: The Great Girlfriends™ Podcast with Dr. Lisa Larkin on Breast HealthDr. Lisa Larkin, founder of Ms. Medicine, and member of HealthyWomen’s Women’s Health Advisory Council, sat down with The Great Girlfriends podcast to discuss breast health. Dr. Larkin shares her own story about navigating her breast health, tips for advocating for optimal care, and the support women need in their breast health journey. Listen to…
