We are so honored to partner with the Making Strides against breast cancer another year!

We cannot thank our staff enough for your support and dedication!

 

Mammograms or Breast Tomosynthesis (3D Mammography) are recommended:

  • Every year starting at age 40-54 for as long as a woman is in good health
  • With doctor’s approval, every 2 years starting ages 55-74.

Clinical Breast Exams are recommended every 1 to 3 years from ages 25 through 39, and yearly starting at age 40  All cisgender women should be performing self-exams at home on a regular basis.

If you have implants, it is important that you tell the technician prior to your mammogram. The machine must be adjusted to get the proper imaging of the natural breast tissue, and special positioning may be required. Mammography images will also be increased to four views of each breast instead of two.

In general, a man’s average risk for breast cancer is very los
however the following things can increase a man’s risk:

  • Family history of breast disease or genetic mutation
  • Ages 65 and up
  • Elevated levels of Estrogen
  • Lifestyle factors such as obesity, lack of physical activity, alcoholism, etc.

 

Although breast cancer is most commonly associated with cisgender women, with statistics showing 1 in 8 cisgender women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, but nonbinary individuals, the transgender community, and cisgender men also are affected by breast cancer.  Because Koeppel Kares about our friends, family, and our community, we have created this helpful gender inclusive guide to help learn more about Breast Cancer prevention and diagnosis.

It is important to be gender inclusive when speaking about the issues of breast cancer, to help avoid triggering feelings of dysphoria, or preventing individuals from receiving lifesaving care and cancer treatments.  If you are seeking gender inclusive care for medical and non-medical services, Apicha CHC may be able to help; in addition to being a gender affirming facility, they also provide referrals for mammograms.

 

Regarding Self-Exams

Individuals of all ages are encouraged to do a self-exam of the chest region once per month, to check for any signs of abnormality.  Although self-exams are not effective for early detection of breast cancer, they can still be useful for understanding how your body feels and looks, and thus help you recognize abnormalities for your body, and when there might be a change that warrants a visit to your physician.  Here is a resource for a proper self-examination procedure.

 

Additional Resources for Info & Support

 Breast Cancer Resources for Gender Inclusive and LGBTQ+

General Breast Cancer Support and Resources

For a full and extensive list of Breast Cancer resources for all genders, nationalities, ethnicities, and religious groups – click here.