Breast Cancer Awareness Month highlights importance of routine exams

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- October is universally recognized Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a health campaign aimed at bringing attention to this specific form of cancer.

Breast cancer is found in the cells of the breast and can spread or metastasize to other parts of the body.

For those who are diagnosed for the first time, it can be a shock and lifechanging experience. Deb Singleton, longtime St. Joseph resident who has had breast cancer, advises others to not lose hope when diagnosed.

"You've got to keep going. That's where hope comes in," Singleton said. "So whatever happens, it's for my good. Don't be afraid of it, face it head on. It's natural to be fearful but you don't have to live in that fear."

In the United States, one in eight women are diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It's been estimated that in 2025, roughly 316,950 women and 2,800 will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

When it is detected in the preliminary stages, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 99%. This is one of the primary reasons why medical professionals, such as the ones at the Stuber Health Center, recommend getting routine screenings.

"Typically if a patient comes in with some breast concerns or if they're doing their annual screenings, we do a clinical breast exam to feel for something abnormal," Nurse Practitioner Danyelle Kerns said. "Sometimes breast cancer will present with skin abnormalities on the outside of the breast, lumps, masses in the breast or nipple discharge. Then we'll send them for a mammogram for further testing."

Additional questions and information on breast cancer can be found on the National Breast Cancer Foundation's website.