Breast Cancer

October is time for us to see falling leaves, jack o' lanterns, and this --

a symbol women have become very familiar with over the years--the symbol of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and those supporting the fight for a cure.

 
Breast Cancer Statistics

Currently more than two million women living in the United States have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. Here are some of the frightening statistics:

• An estimated 211,240 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the United States during 2005 and an estimated 40,410 women will die from breast cancer.
• Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women ages 40-59.
• Since 1971 more women in the US have died from breast cancer than all of the American men who lost their lives in World War I and II, the Korean conflict, and Vietnam!
• It is estimated that 1,690 men will be diagnosed and 460 men will die of breast cancer during 2005.

About Breast Cancer

We all have genes that control the way our cells divide and grow. When these genes do not work like they should, an error or mutation has occurred. These mutations may be inherited. While the specific causes are not known, mutations may also occur spontaneously during your lifetime.

Breast cancer is where cells in the breast tissue divide and grow without the normal control. About 80 percent of breast cancers originate in the mammary ducts and 20 percent in the lobules, sacs in the breast that produce milk. Cancerous tumors in the breast usually grow very slowly so that by the time one is large enough to be felt as a lump, it may have been growing for as long as ten years.

When abnormal cells grow inside the lobules or milk ducts but have not spread to the surrounding tissue or beyond, the condition is called carcinoma in situ. The term ''in situ'' means ''in place''. Invasive breast cancer develops when abnormal cells from inside the lobules or ducts break out into the surrounding breast tissue. In these cases, cancer may spread to the lymph nodes and beyond to organs like the liver, lungs and bones.

Reducing Your Risk

What many women don't realize is that individual risk of breast cancer can be reduced if the right steps are taken. By doing monthly breast self examinations, yearly mammograms after the age of 50, and clinical examinations, breast cancer can be detected in time to provide a 92 percent cure rate. The key is early detection and treatment.

To better know what preventative measures should be taken, you need to understand your risk factors.

Only 20-30 percent of women who have breast cancer have one or more of these risk factors that can not be controlled:

• Gender
• Age
• Previous cancer
• Family history
• Early onset of menstruation (before age 12)
• Late menopause (after age 50)
• Late child bearing (first child after age 30)

The majority, 70-80 percent of women with breast cancer, have controllable risk factors.

These include:

• Exercise and weight control
• Diet
• Support systems
• Emotional well-being
• Exposure to hazardous toxins in the environment

As you can see, every woman can take preventative steps to minimize these factors in her life.

For additional information on breast cancer, causes and prevention, visit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Breast Cancer and Hormone Therapy

According to The HRT Solution by Marla Ahlgrimm, R.Ph., breast cancer is one of the largest concerns women have when considering hormone therapy. This is unfortunate because in most instances, the quality of life for those women is being compromised when, in fact, statistics suggest that 90% of the women who develop breast cancer have never taken hormones. Recent studies suggest that it is not hormones but taking overdoses of individual hormones that may have some association with breast cancer.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer by John R. Lee, M.D., David Zara, Ph.D., Virginia Hopkins is an excellent reference for additional information about breast cancer and hormone therapy.