October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

(Undated) — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The international health campaign was started in 1985 to promote mammography as a way to fight the deadly disease. When caught early, breast cancer can often be very treatable. According to Crawford Memorial Hospital, there are some simple things to look out for. They say a lump or mass is the most common and obvious sign. A painless, hard mass with irregular edges is more likely to be cancerous, but tumors can also be soft, round, tender, or even painful. Other things to be on the lookout for include swelling, skin dimpling, nipple retraction, skin changes, and swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collarbone. Health experts say having one of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have cancer. But it does mean it’s time to schedule an appointment with your doctor or healthcare provider to get checked out. The World Health Organization says that in 2024, over two million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer, and over six hundred ninety thousand died from the disease.