Health

2008 Breast Cancer Statistics
The following is adapted from information available from the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among U.S. women, accounting for more than 1 in 4 cancers.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

One out of eight American women who live to be 85 years of age will develop breast cancer, a risk that was one out of 14 in 1960.

2.4 million women living in the U.S. have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer.

An estimated 182,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in American women during 2008. About 1,990 new cases of breast cancer are expected in men. In addition, an estimated 67,770 cases of in situ breast cancer (both DCIS and LCIS) are expected, with 85 percent being DCIS.

An estimated 40,930 breast cancer deaths are anticipated this year (40,480 women, 450 men).

The greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer is gender (female) and the second is age. During 2000-2004, 95 percent of new cases and 97 percent of breast cancer deaths occurred in women aged 40 and older.

The risk of developing breast cancer increases for women whose parent, sibling or child have had the disease.

It has been estimated that 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancer cases result from inherited mutations or alterations in BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Women who begin menstruating before age 12 are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. The more menstrual cycles a woman has during her lifetime, the more her risk increases.

Other risk factors include inherited mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, a personal or family history of breast cancer, high breast tissue density, high-dose radiation to the chest wall, long menstrual history, never having given birth or giving birth for the first time after age 30, and biopsy-confirmed atypical hyperplasia.

After decreasing 16 percent from 2006 to 2007, the estimated number of new cases of female invasive breast cancer is expected to increase slightly in 2008 to 182,460, up from 178,480. The estimated number of new breast cancer cases in men is expected to continue to decline slightly, with 1,990 new cases in 2008, down from 2,030 in 2007.

Female breast cancer incidence rates continuously increased for two decades, but have leveled off since 2001. One possible explanation for the decrease is that millions of women stopped taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) following published research that indicates a positive link between taking HRT and developing breast cancer.

Patients with private insurance from all racial/ethnic groups are more likely to be diagnosed with stage I breast cancer and less likely to be diagnosed with stage III and IV than those who were uninsured or who had Medicaid insurance. While 89 percent of patients with private insurance survived five years, only 77 percent of uninsured and 75 percent of Medicaid patients passed the five year mark.

Information from Cancer Facts & Figures 2008, American Cancer Society.

EARLY DETECTION
Breast cancer rates declined significantly from 1992 to 1996, with the largest decrease in younger women – both white and black. This decline is probably the result of early detection and improved treatment.

Early breast cancer detection leads to a better survival rate.

Mammography increases the chance of finding breast cancers before there are symptoms.
Get a yearly mammogram starting at age 40.

Watch for a new lump or mass. Do a monthly breast self-examination. A painless, hard, lump with uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft and rounded. Alert your doctor. Get a yearly breast examination by a physician anyway.

Other signs of breast cancer include a swelling of part of the breast , skin irritation or dimpling, nipple pain or the nipple turning inward, redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin, nipple discharge (other than breast milk) and a lump in the underarm area.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Stop smoking
Exercise at least three to four hours a week
Reduce stress and to enhance your comfort, satisfaction, and joy - try meditation, yoga, visualization exercises and prayer
Reduce estrogen in your diet:
  Limit alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per week, which increases
  the livers ability to regulate blood estrogen levels
  Restrict red meat and other sources of animal fat which may contain stored hormones or pesticides
Breast cancer survivors should avoid taking estrogen-like products such as menopausal hormone therapy and DHEA.
Go Vegetarian - The American Cancer Society recommends eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily
Shed extra weight - maintaining a healthy weight are important ways to reduce your risk of cancer
If possible, consider having children sooner rather than later in life

Most of the info here was found at breastcancer.org