Our state has the highest rate of breast cancer in the nation. The national average is 125.3 women out of 100K are diagnosed with breast cancer. South Dakota is sitting at an alarming average of 141.1 women out of 100K.
Just this month, the program “On Call with the Prairie Doc” aired on SDPB TV. The program featured guests Dr. Julie Reiland and Dr. Amy Krie.
In a recent interview with KSFY TV in Sioux Falls, Dr. Reiland stated that South Dakotans are being diagnosed more, because they’re having mammograms on a regular basis, and therefore the statistic of diagnosis can be misleading. On a positive note, South Dakota has one of the lowest rates in terms of women dying from breast cancer.
On the May 5 “On Call” episode, Dr. Krie discussed some of the risk factors of breast cancer. While some can’t be avoided due to hereditary connections, some things can. For instance, women who breast feed are less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Krie said there actions women can take to help lower their overall risk for the disease, and one is drinking alcohol in moderation.
“Some of the things I think women should understand in terms of things they can change is alcohol intake,” explained Krie. “So we know when women, who are post menopause, particularly if they’re on hormones, that high doses of alcohol do increase the estrogen level in their blood stream. And a big factor in the United States, of course obesity is, as Dr. Reiland mentioned, also increases the estrogen levels floating around that could potentially feed breast cancers to grow.”
This week’s “On Call” show will discuss a different topic, incontinence. The show is on Thursday May 26 on SDPB1-TV at 7 pm CT.
