Battling Cancer

October is

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

From the American Cancer Society:

• Breast cancer life time risk is about to 1 in 8 (about 12%).
• In 2008, an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed, along with 67,770 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. About 40,480 women are expected to die in 2008 from breast cancer, though this is a decrease.
• In the United States, breast cancer death rates are higher than any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
• Excluding skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women.
• A woman’s risk of breast cancer doubles if she has a mother, sister, or daughter that has been diagnosed with breast cancer. 20% – 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.
• About 5-10% of breast cancers are caused by inherited gene mutations.
• Riskfactors for breast cancer include being female and growing older.

Can Breast Cancer Be Prevented?

“At this time, there is no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer, which is why regular mammograms are so important. A woman’s best overall preventive health strategy is to reduce her known risk factors as much as possible by avoiding weight gain and obesity, engaging in regular physical activity, and minimizing alcohol intake. Women should consider the increased risk of breast cancer associated with HRT use when evaluating treatment options for menopausal symptoms. Treatment with tamoxifen or raloxifene can also reduce the risk of breast cancer among women at high risk.”

For more information check out the Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2007-2008 From the American Cancer Society

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