October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

As you know, early detection is key and we are fortunate to live in Kitsap County, where advanced imaging centers are located close to home.

Go to the American Cancer Society website, www.cancer.org, for information about early detection, as well as information about self-examination, staying healthy and lowering your risk, finding support and treatment, ongoing research and how to get involved.

Good news: Scientific advances are being made. Doctors are finding new ways to tell if treatments are working. Imaging methods continue to evolve. Drugs are being developed that specifically target gene changes in cancer cells; other new drugs help strengthen bones weakened by cancer treatment.

Be in the know. See your doctor regularly for exams. And let “early detection” be your mantra.