by Shelly Haskins
12. October 2009 23:47
Chances are everyone has been touched during their lives by someone who has had breast cancer. Perhaps it was a mother, sister, aunt, a close friend or yourself.
Breast cancer is a disease that forms in the tissues of the breast. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for American women. Over the past 50 years, the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has increased each year which is likely due to better public education about the disease and better as well as earlier detection.
Today the statistics are that 1 in nearly 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, or 12.3% of US women in their lifetime. This year an estimated 180,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Although rare, an estimated 1,500 men will be part of that number.
Effective breast cancer testing procedures such as the mammogram diagnose breast cancer before it has a chance to spread to other areas of the body. Such early detection also allows early intervention and is the best way to increase the chance of survival. Early detection also makes treatment more effective. Most breast cancer in the early stages can be effectively treated with surgery that preserves the breast. According to the American Cancer Society, 63% of breast cancers are now discovered at an early stage, before the cancer has spread to other organs or body tissues. The five-year survival rate following treatment for early stage breast cancer is 96%. The American Cancer Society also states that the mortality rate from this disease could decrease by 30% if all women age 50 and older who had a mammogram annually or as often as recommended by their physician.
Scientists still do not know what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain factors may put a woman at higher risk of developing it. A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of getting a disease. Different cancers have different risk factors. Having a cancer risk factor or even several of them does not necessarily mean that you will get cancer. Some women with one or more breast cancer risk factor never develop it. However, every woman is at some risk for breast cancer as simply being a woman and growing older puts us at risk for this disease. As of age 40, the incidence of breast cancer increases as we age, and continues to increase over our lifetime.
Other factors that can increase a woman’s risk include:
- Personal history of breast cancer - if a woman has had cancer in one breast; she is at increased risk for developing it in the other breast.
- Family history - a woman is at increased risk if her mother, sister, or daughter has had the disease.
- Cellular irregularities - if a woman has certain changes in her cells which are called atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ, she is at increased risk; your doctor can help you determine if you have this irregularity.
- Genetics - the presence of certain inherited genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 indicate a woman’s predisposition to develop breast cancer. Tests are now available to determine the presence of these genes.
- Women who began menstruation at an early age - under 12 years old--had children later in life- after age 30 - or not at all or experienced late on-set menopause - after age 55 - may be at increased risk
- Weight: women who are overweight - carrying their weight particularly in the waist area - are at higher risk, particularly after menopause.
- Familial Groups - female descendents of Eastern and Central European Jews (also known as Ashkenazi Jews) are at increased risk for breast cancer.
- Alcohol - Use of alcohol is linked to increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared with non-drinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have a very small increase in risk; however, those who have 2 to 5 drinks per day have about a 1.5 times the risk for the disease as that of women who drink no alcohol.
- Race - Caucasian women are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Native American women.
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - long term use of certain female hormones increases the risk of breast cancer. If you have taken such therapy, discuss your risk factors with your physician.
All women should talk with their physicians about their individual risk for developing breast cancer. For those of you with granddaughters, this conversation should occur early in life—in their twenties. As we age we should update our health histories, especially if a mother or sister develops breast cancer, or if you have any risk factors for breast cancer.
We hope that the information motivates you to be tested and that women you know are also tested each year as research continues to find the cure for this disease.
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