Breast
Cancer - 11 Facts You Should Know
1. Breast cancer
is the most common form of cancer in women in the United States. Both
its cause and the means for its cure remain undiscovered. More than
2 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today.
2. In 2001, 192,200
new cases of female breast cancer will be diagnosed and 40,200 women
will die from the disease. Approximately 46,400 cases of female in
situ (preinvasive) breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2001. Breast
cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for all women after
lung cancer, and the leading cause of cancer deaths in women between
the ages of 40 and 55.
3. Men can develop
breast cancer too, although its incidence is low. In 2001, 1,500 male
cases are projected to be diagnosed, and 400 men will die from the
disease.
4. In the United
States, one out of nine women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime
- in 1960, the likelihood was one out of 14 women. This year, breast
cancer will be newly diagnosed every three minutes, and a woman will
die from breast cancer every 13 minutes.
5. Every woman
is at risk for breast cancer. The risk of developing breast cancer
increases as a woman ages, and the risk is even higher if she has
a family history of breast cancer, has never had children or had her
first child after age 30, and if she has had prior radiation therapy
for Hodgkin's disease. However, more than 70 percent of cases occur
in women who have no identifiable risk factors.
6. Breast cancer
cannot yet be prevented. However, a risk-reduction option is available
for women at very high risk, such as the estimated 5 percent to 10
percent of American women with multiple close family members who have
had the disease. In 1998, the drug tamoxifen was shown to reduce breast
cancer cases by 50 percent over four years in a large research study
of high-risk women. Tamoxifen was FDA-approved for use in this group,
but the drug's risks, benefits and side effects must be thoroughly
discussed by a woman and her physician.
7. Breast cancer
can be detected at an early, treatable stage in women age 40 and older.
More widespread use of regular screening mammography has been a major
contributor to recent improvements in the breast cancer survival rate.
A 1996 survey showed that more than half of U.S. women age 50 and
older reported having had a mammogram within the last year. A screening
mammogram is a simple, low-dose X-ray procedure that can reveal breast
cancer at its earliest stage, up to two years before a lump is large
enough to be felt. Annual screening mammography should begin at age
40 and continue as long as the woman is healthy and able to undergo
the test.
8. Annual breast
examinations by a medical professional are a required complement to
annual screening mammography. Although some breast irregularities
are found by women themselves, most women do not perform breast self-examination
(BSE) regularly. Although BSE has never been proven to affect survival,
a recommended component of every woman's breast health program is
to become familiar with her breasts and what "normal" feels
to her.
9. Over 80 percent
of biopsied breast abnormalities are proven benign, but any breast
lump must be evaluated by a physician. New, less-invasive biopsy procedures
permit removal of breast tissue in a physician's or radiologist's
office.
10. If detected
early, breast cancer can often be treated effectively with surgery
that preserves the breast, followed by radiation therapy. This local
therapy is sometimes accompanied by systemic chemotherapy and/or hormonal
therapy. The five-year survival rate after treatment for early-stage
breast cancer is 96 percent.
11. Breast cancer
incidence increases with age, rising sharply after age 40. Roughly
80 percent of invasive breast cancer occurs in women over age 50.
© National
Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations
