October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It is a time to remember all of those who have lost their battle with breast cancer. It is also a time to remember that we must carry the torch to educate as many women as possible about the importance of self-awareness, annual screening, and support the cause. 

Most people in the United States know a friend or family member who has been impacted by breast cancer. The following stats show how much of a widespread issue it is:

• One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

• 246,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year.

• As of this year, there are more than 2.8 million women who have had, or are being treated for, breast cancer.

5 Year Survival Rates Based on Stage The survival rate of those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer depends greatly on which stage of cancer they have.

Localized: If the cancer cells have not spread outside of the breast tissue, 99% of women live five years or longer.

Regionalized: If the cancer cells have spread to nearby tissue, 84% of women live five years or longer.

Distant (Metastasis): If the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body, 26% of women live five years or longer.

The combination of mammography, regular breast exams by your health care professional, and awareness of changes in your breasts may be the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is more easily treated. Women who are not at high risk of breast cancer should start breast cancer screening at age 40 and no later than age 50.

Women at higher risk may be screened before age 40. Talk to your health care professional about the benefits and risks of mammography.

Other side effects of breast cancer treatments: When you have breast cancer, you begin to deal with an array of symptoms and side effects from treatments that can seem overwhelming. One side effect that many women do not expect is dyspareunia (painful intercourse).

Painful intercourse can occur due to chemotherapy treatments or estrogen- lowering and blocking therapies such as tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors.

Any of these can decrease a woman’s estrogen production, leading to menopausal symptoms. In addition, breast cancer survivors cannot use conventional estrogen therapies. VIEVE® Women's Wellness is happy to offer breast cancer patients an in-office treatment for relief of these painful symptoms.

The CO2RE Intima is a non-surgical, non-pharmacological way to prevent and treat symptoms of vaginal dryness and atrophy.

Many of the current treatments for vaginal dryness and atrophy—when vaginal tissue becomes dry, thin and less elastic—involve topical hormone creams or hormone replacement therapies. This type of treatment isn’t recommended for women with breast cancer. CO2RE Intima is an in-office treatment that does not involve any medications or hormones, making it a safe option for breast cancer patients.