(KIWA Staff Photo)Iowa (RI) — Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among Iowa women, but health care professionals say early detection dramatically improves survival rates.
Jackie Dau, the lead mammography technician at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars, says annual mammograms should begin around age 40 for most women.
Dau says becoming familiar with what is normal can help women recognize changes that may require medical attention.
More than 3,000 Iowans are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and about 380 die from the disease. Iowa is home to approximately 38,000 breast cancer survivors, representing about 20% of all cancer survivors in the state.
Dau says breast cancer is not limited to women and can also affect men.
Common warning signs of breast cancer include a hard lump in the breast, swelling or thickening in part of the breast, skin changes resembling an orange peel, and unexplained warmth, redness, or inflammation of the breast.
