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Breast Cancer
General Information Understanding the Cancer Process Who's at Risk? Recognizing Symptoms Mammography What You Can Do About Breast Cancer More Information
General Information
Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States. More than 180,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. In 2005 in the US, there were 40,410 deaths due to breast cancer. This year 3,900 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in Wisconsin and 700 women will die of breast cancer in Wisconsin.
Cancer is the second leading killer of American women. At present, breast cancer is the second leading cancer killer of American women (following lung cancer), claiming the lives of 43,300 women in 1999. However, with increased use of mammography screening and self-breast exams, breast cancers are detected earlier in their development when they are more treatable. Understanding the Cancer Process In order to understand cancer, it is helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancerous. Benign tumors are not cancer. They can usually be removed, and in most cases, they do not come back. Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. Most important, benign breast tumors are not a threat to life. Malignant tumors are cancer. Cells in these tumors are abnormal. They divide without control or order, and they can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Also, cancer cells can break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. That is how cancer spreads from the original (primary) cancer site to form new tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis. When cancer begins in breast tissue and spreads (metastasizes) outside the breast, cancer cells are often found in the lymph nodes under the arm (axillary lymph nodes). If the cancer has reached these lymph nodes, it means that cancer cells may have spread to other parts of the body -- other lymph nodes and other organs, such as the bones, liver, or lungs. When cancer spreads from its original location to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the brain, the cancer cells in the brain are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is called “metastatic” breast cancer. (It is not brain cancer.) Doctors sometimes call this "distant" disease. Factors that increase the relative risk for breast cancer in women:
Relative risk (RR) compares the risk of disease among people with a particular exposure to the risk among people without that exposure. If the RR is above 1.0, then risk is higher among exposed than unexposed persons. RR below 1.0 reflect a lower risk or protective effect. However, while RR are useful for comparisons, they do not provide information about the absolute amount of additional risk experienced by the exposed group.
Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. In fact, when breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. But as the cancer grows, it can cause changes that women should watch for, including:
A woman should see her doctor about any symptoms like these. Most often, they are not cancer, but it's important to check with a doctor so that any problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast. It can find breast cancer that is too small for you, your doctor, or nurse to feel. Studies show that if you are in your forties or older, having a mammogram every 1 to 2 years could save your life. Getting a mammogram every year is part of staying healthy after you turn 50. Mammograms are quick and easy. You simply stand in front of an x-ray machine. The person who takes the x-rays places your breasts between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast and make it flat. This may be uncomfortable for a few seconds, but it helps get a clear picture. You will have x-rays taken of each breast. Some women feel a little embarrassed. You will wear a cover-up for privacy except during the mammogram. A mammogram takes less time than most checkups with your doctor. If all women over 50 followed guidelines for regular annual mammograms, the number of deaths could be reduced by 30 percent and the lives of 13,000 women could be saved annually, according to the American Cancer Society. Ask your doctor or nurse about getting a mammogram. Call your local health department or clinic or call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER What You Can Do About Breast Cancer Give yourself a breast self-examination each month and see your health care provider for a breast exam—every one to three years for women ages 20-40, every year for women 40 and older. Your health care provider may want you to have checkups more often, or begin them younger, if your risk of breast cancer is higher than average. If someone in your family had breast cancer, for example, you are at a higher than average risk. Get mammograms regularly beginning at age 40. Women ages 40-49 should have a mammogram every one to two years. Women age 50 and older should have a mammogram every year. See your health care provider right away if you find a lump or see other changes in your breast. For information on hormone replacement therapy and risk of breast cancer go to the National Heart, Blood & Lung Institute. Download the Komen Report on Breast Cancer Survivor Focus Groups Breast cancer treatment options: National Breast Cancer Foundation Cancer patient resources and information centers: Wisconsin Well Woman Program Calculate your risk: Use the National Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool |
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