Protect Yourself and Others From Breast Cancer

Women have been getting a lot of mixed messages about breast cancer screening. Health care professionals acknowledge the importance of early detection, but now studies are showing that women need not be tested between ages 40 and 50. So what's the right answer?

The answer is to protect yourself in whatever way possible, and the key is early detection. Mammograms are invasive and painful, but there are alternatives for women under the age of 50.

Here are just a few things you can do to make sure you catch any risk of breast cancer early:

* Learn to administer self-examinations. Tutorials are available online. Getting to know your own breasts is the first step to recognizing when something is not right.

* Look into early detection alternatives, such as the HALO breast pap test. The HALO test only takes five minutes and is much less invasive than a mammogram. It estimates a patient's risk for breast cancer from fluid collected from the nipple.

* Talk with your friends and share resources, tips and stories.

Sign this pledge today to be an example for women everywhere. Show them that early detection is the key to protecting yourself from breast cancer. Share this message with your friends!