October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and each year the month is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer, celebrating the lives of the many women who survived, and remembering those lost, said Cardra Burns, director of the Halifax County Public Health System.

Approximately one in eight women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point during her life.

(For more information contact HCPHS Health Department at 252-583-5021. The department also has a Facebook and Twitter page)

In 2013, a projected 9,339 women in North Carolina were diagnosed with breast cancer, 60 in Halifax County. “Many of these women will survive because they were diagnosed early, but some will face premature death because they were diagnosed too late for effective treatment,” Burns said.

However, the good news is early detection and treatment increase chances for survival. “I encourage all women to take charge of their health by going for regular breast screenings.”

The Halifax County Public Health System offers free breast screenings, education and referral services to eligible women through the N.C. Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program.

Breast screenings check a woman’s breasts for cancer before noticeable signs or symptoms are present. There are two main tests used to screen for breast cancer:

• Clinical breast exam — A breast exam by a doctor or nurse, who uses his or her hands to carefully feel for lumps or other changes in the entire breast area.

• Mammogram— X-ray of the breast. Mammograms are the best method to detect breast cancer early when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause other symptoms.

Burns said women are not alone. “If you are a breast cancer or cancer survivor, caregiver of a cancer patient, you can now find support to help you in the fight against cancer..”

RV-BCC sponsors four breast cancer support groups (Hollister, Roanoke Rapids, Jackson, and Scotland Neck) within the Roanoke Valley.

For more information about the support groups, contact Patricia Peele, RHG Women’s Health Educator at 252-678-4608.

“Early detection is extremely important for those cancers that can be cured and which can be discovered early. Breast cancer is a good example of this. Take charge of your health.Early detection saves lives because public health matters.”