October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), an annual campaign to bring the message of the importance of early detection. The National Breast Cancer Foundation in the U.S. campaign this year – RISE (Rally In Sharing Everywhere) –presents this important message: “Fact: When breast cancer is detected early, in the localized stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 99 percent. Pledge to schedule your 1mammogram and encourage someone you love to schedule one by taking our Mammogram Pledge today.” Mammogram (Pixabay photo) Here’s important information gathered from well-known health websites to support the BCAM awareness campaign: “A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt,” described by Center for Disease Control (CDC). According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) website, a group of national experts in disease prevention, women 50 to 74 years old should get a mammogram every two years. Meanwhile, women who are 40 to 49 years old are advised to discuss how often to get a mammogram with their doctors. A few reminders to prepare for a mammogram appointment, according to the American Cancer Society; • Schedule your mammogram screening when you notice your breasts aren’t tender or swollen. This will help in making yourself comfortable during the procedure. • Bring your previous mammogram images. If this is not your first time to get the screening, and you are trying to inquire on a different facility for your mammogram, it will be beneficial to bring it with you to your appointment so that the experts can compare your past mammograms with your new x-ray images. • Women should avoid getting the screening a week before or during  menstruation period when the body undergoes hormonal changes that can make the breast feel sensitive. • Don’t apply deodorant, powders, lotions, antiperspirant, or perfumes under the  arms, or on breast area. It can create different particles or white spots that could show up in the x-ray. It can also appear as an abnormality on the x-ray image. • Research your chosen facility. It is to ensure that you are taking the screening under a trusted and certified facility. According to the Philippine Statistics of Authority, approximately 70 percent of women with breast cancer has unknown risk factors, while five percent of breast cancer cases are hereditary. Not only women can get breast cancer.  Though men have lower cases of breast cancer compared to women, men also have breast tissue that can go through cancerous changes, the American Cancer Society website explained. (Clarissa Garcia)