According to the National Cancer Institute, a woman has a one-in-eight chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. Second only to lung cancer, breast cancer kills more than 40,000 women every year in the U.S alone. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, excluding skin cancers.
Risk Factors
Women who have reached the age of 40 carry the greatest risk for breast cancer. While breast cancer occurs in men, it is rare. Being obese or overweight, having a history of hormone therapy, drinking one or more alcoholic beverages per day, starting menstruation before age 12 or ending menstruation after age 55, never giving birth, giving birth to the first child after age 30, using birth control pills, having radiation to the chest and having a genetic mutation, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, all increase breast cancer risk.
Lowering Risk
While the exact cause of breast cancer remains unknown as of July 2010, research continues into potential causes of this deadly disease. A woman can protect herself and decrease the risk of a breast cancer diagnosis by maintaining a healthy body mass index, or BMI, participating in daily cardiovascular activity, and limiting alcohol consumption and tobacco exposure.
Early Detection
Earlier detection of breast cancer leads to improved health outcomes. The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the less likely it has metastasized, or spread, to lymph nodes or distant organs, which can complicate treatments and decrease survival rates. Health care providers conduct clinical breast exams, or manual exams, and order mammography and magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, to detect breast cancer. Both the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure recommend clinical breast exams for women every three years starting at age 20. Debate exists over when women should begin annual breast cancer screening. Both Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society recommend women receive annual mammograms starting at age 40, or earlier if at increased risk.
Risk of Recurrence
According to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, "on average, 7 to 18 percent of women with early breast cancer have a local recurrence within 10 years after treatment, meaning the cancer will return to the breast, chest or lymph nodes in the armpit." Women who have had breast cancer are at increased risk for a new breast cancer diagnosis, especially if there is a strong family history of breast cancer or a known BRCA genetic mutation. The risk of recurrence decreases with routine medical monitoring upon treatment completion as well as finishing prescribed treatment courses.
Survivorship
The overall relative five-year breast cancer survival rate has improved dramatically over the past four decades, thanks to advances in early detection and treatment. While overall survival rates are directly related to the stage of breast cancer, currently 90 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer live beyond five years. Breast cancer survivors have unique physical, practical and emotional needs and concerns that they and their health care providers need to address and monitor throughout survivorship.
