October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but that doesn’t mean cancer should only be recognized this time of year.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer found in women. People should be aware of it all the time, said Phaedra Malatek, president of the Women’s Cancer Awareness Group at NIU.

“Because breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the United States, every woman is at risk,” she said. “There is no way to prevent breast cancer and the cause of the disease is not known.”

Malatek said she believes the best way to detect breast cancer is to be familiar with one’s own body.

“The best way to detect breast cancer at its earliest and most treatable stage is through a three-step detection program,” Malatek said. “This includes annual screening mammograms, which can find breast cancer well before it can be felt by a woman or her doctor. In addition, women should also have a doctor or nurse perform a clinical breast exam every year, and become familiar with how their breasts normally feel through regular breast self-exams.”

Establishing a trusting relationship with a gynecologist also is important, she said. Men, too, need to be aware and educated about breast cancer, even if their risks are less than women’s.

Men have the same tissues and glands as women, but only have a one percent chance of getting breast cancer, Malatek said.

According to www.cancer.org, a man’s breast duct cells can undergo cancerous changes. Because women have many more breast cells than men do, and perhaps because their breast cells are constantly exposed to the growth-promoting effects of female hormones, making breast cancer much more common in women.

Freshman English major Catherine Coniglio said breast cancer needs to be known about by in all age groups, not just older women.

“It causes many deaths, even in young people,” she said. “You have to be aware of it and be cautious. It is important to check yourself, even during developmental stages.”

Senior biology major William Kyle has been affected by breast cancer.

“My grandmother was mis-diagnosed,” he said. “They thought it was malignant, but it turned out to be a lump. I think that personally being in the health care system, mammograms are not always accurate. We need other measures.”

Kyle, like many others, said he believes research for breast cancer is very important.

“Research is important for breast cancer,” he said. “It is the No. 1 killer for females. That in itself shows why it should be researched and educated about.”