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POWER through education. Breast Cancer Tautai Lavea’i If you have received an abnormal test result for a For More Information Visit These Websites: National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov breast exam, mammogram, or physical check-up you Anyone Can Get Not Everyone Will Survive It American Cancer Society www.cancer.org may be eligible for assistance through the LBJ TMC Patient Navigation Program. Contact Mrs. Julia Salilo Foifua at 633-4589 for more information. Cancer Care Inc. www.cancercare.org Be A Survivor OR CALL the Screen for Breast Cancer Breast & Cervical Cancer clinic at 633-2135 ObGYN Clinic at LBJ 633-1222 American Samoa Community Cancer Network at 633-4589 This brochure was developed by the American Samoa Community Cancer Network , translated by the ASCC Institute of Samoan Studies, and Funded by the National Cancer Institute Grant #5U01CA114590 What is prevention? Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer in a population is lowered. Hopefully, this will lower the number of deaths caused by cancer. To prevent new cancers from starting, we remove anything that increases our chance of developing cancer. These things are called ‘cancer risk factors’. Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Regular exercise and a healthy diet may be protect from some types of cancer. Avoiding risk factors may lower your risk but it does not mean that you will not get cancer. Different ways to prevent cancer are being studied, including: What is screening? Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread. It is important to remember that your doctor does not necessarily think you have cancer if he or she suggests a screening test. Screening tests are given when you have no cancer symptoms. If a screening test result is abnormal, you may need to have more tests done to find out if you have cancer. These are called diagnostic tests. Breast Cancer Screening STEP 1: Annual Physical Check-Ups after age 18 STEP 2: Monthly Self-Breast Exams Changing lifestyle or eating habits. STEP 3: Annual Clinical Breast Exams Avoiding things known to cause cancer. Taking medicines to treat a precancerous condition or to keep cancer from starting. STEP 4: Annual Mammogram beginning at age 40 DOH Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program 633-2135 Where Do I Get Screened? Annual physical check-ups and annual clinical breast exams are available at the Department of Health’s Community Health Clinic after-hours Women’s Clinic at Tafuna, Leone, and Amouli. If a lump or other abnormality is found you will be referred to the LBJ TMC surgical clinic. Monthly Self-Breast Exams are done in the privacy of your own home. The Health Clinic Nurse will show you how to check yourself for unusual lumps, swelling, and other symptoms. Although Breast Cancer is most commonly found in older women, young women should always do the Self Breast Exam. Watch the educational Breast Cancer Screening video produced by the American Samoa Community Cancer Network for a complete demonstration on how to do your monthly self-breast exam. If you are age 45 and over you can sign up with the Breast & Cervical Program’s free mammogram service.: 633-2135