National Breast Cancer Awareness month at Columbus AFB

  • Published
  • By Airman John Day
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  The month of October marks National Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Columbus Air Force Base. This presents an opportunity to inform Team BLAZE members about breast cancer and the services Columbus AFB provides to combat it.

Breast cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the breast tissue grow out of control. Symptoms may or may not be present and can include the following:

- Lumps in the breast or underarm
- Thickening or swelling in part of the breast
- Irritation or dimpling of the breast skin
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple or breast area
- Pulling in of the nipple
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk
- Change in the size or shape of a breast
- Pain in the nipple or breast

Although these symptoms can occur with conditions that are not cancer, women and men with any of these signs should seek medical care.

Avoiding certain risk factors can decrease the likelihood of developing breast cancer. These risk factors can include the following:

- Older age
- Never giving birth or being older at the birth of your first child
- Never breastfeeding
- Younger age at start of menstrual cycle
- Personal or family history of breast cancer
- Being overweight
- Lack of regular exercise
- Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy
- Drinking alcohol in excess

Having one or more of these risk factors can put you at risk for breast cancer, but does not guarantee contraction.

Regular screening can help to identify breast cancer early, before signs and symptoms appear. Three main tests used to screen for breast cancer include a mammogram, a clinical breast exam by a healthcare provider and a self breast exam. Treatment methods are more likely to be effective if cancer is found early.


Columbus AFB's 14th Medical Group offers clinical breast exams, mammograms and informational brochures to increase awareness of breast cancer and the services the clinic provides.