Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women, accounting for 30% of cancers women get. Each year, there are more than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer and about 40,000 deaths from it.
Men can also develop breast cancer. About 300 men die each year from it..
Risk Factors
For women, age is the
number one risk factor. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) gives the following statistics
for a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer:
By Age |
 30........................1 in
2,21240........................1 in 23550........................1 in 5460........................1 in 2370........................1 in 1480........................1 in 10Lifetime................1 in 8 |
Personal history of breast lesions,
especially ductual carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
Never giving birth or having a first
fullterm pregnancy after age 30
Starting menstruation before age 12
Family history of breast cancer for a woman
whose mother, sister, or daughter has had the disease
Having familial cancer genes, such as BRCA1
or BRCA2
Having had breast biopsies, especially if
the biopsy showed a change in breast tissue known as atypical hyperplasia
Having European Jewish ancestry
Being overweight after menopause
Taking hormone replacement after menopause
for 5 or more years. This applies only while still taking the hormones.
Race. White women have a greater risk than
African American women. African Americans with breast cancer are more likely to die from
it, though.
To estimate your risk for breast cancer, ask your doctor or contact the National Cancer Institute (1-800-4-CANCER) about The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool.
Detection
Early screening for breast cancer includes:
Mammograms -
X-rays of the breast. (See Common Health Tests & How Often to
Have Them.) Make sure you have mammograms at facilities that are accredited by the
American College of Radiology (ACR). Call the National Cancer Institute Hotline at
1-800-4-CANCER to find ones in your area.
Clinical breast exams - Breast exams by a
doctor or nurse
Breast self-exam - (See How to Examine Your Breasts later in this
section.)
If a lump or other problem is found, the doctor can do further exams and tests to check for cancer.
Treatment
There are a variety of treatments for breast cancer. The main treatment is
surgery. Most often the cancerous area is removed. A sample of the lymph nodes in the
armpit is also taken to see if the cancer has spread there.
Other treatments are radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, brachytherapy, and stem cell or bone marrow transplant. It is important to find out the type of cancer cell present. If the cancer is a type which spreads quickly, a more extensive surgical treatment may be chosen.
Types of Surgical Procedures:
Lumpectomy - The lump and a
border of surrounding tissue are removed.
Partial or segmental mastectomy - The tumor
and up to one-fourth of the breast tissue are removed.
Simple or total mastectomy - The entire
breast is removed.
Modified radical mastectomy - The entire
breast, the underarm lymph nodes and the lining covering the chest muscles, but not the
muscles themselves, are removed.
Radical mastectomy - The breast, lymph
nodes in the armpit and the chest muscles under the breast are removed. This type is
rarely done.
Ask your doctor about the benefits and risks for each surgical option and decide together which option is best for you.
Do you see or feel any lumps, thickening, or changes of any kind
when you examine your breasts? For example, is there dimpling, puckering,
retraction of the skin, or change in the shape or contour of the breast? |
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| Do you have breast pain or a constant tenderness that lasts
throughout the menstrual cycle? |
|
| Do the nipples become drawn into the chest (or are they inverted
totally), change shape, or become crusty from a discharge? |
|
| If you normally have lumpy breasts (already diagnosed as being
benign by your doctor), do you notice any new lumps, or have any lumps changed in size, or
are you concerned about having "benign" lumps? |
|
| Is there any nonmilky discharge when you squeeze the nipple of
either breast or both breasts? |
|
| Do you have a family history of breast cancer which leads you to
be concerned even if you don't notice any problems when you examine your breasts? Use Self-Care/Prevention Tips below and perform breast self-examination monthly. |
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Get to and stay at a healthy body
weight.
Be physically active. Get 30 or more
minutes of moderate activity most days of the week; daily if you can.
Eat a variety of fresh fruits and
vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals.
Avoid unnecessary X-rays. Wear a lead apron
when you get dental X-rays and other X-rays not of the chest.
Breast-feed your babies. This may reduce
your risk for breast cancer, especially before menopause.
Limit your alcohol intake to 1 drink per
day, at the most.
Check with your doctor about taking the
prescribed medicine, tamoxifen or raloxifene.
Schedule a mammogram as advised by your
doctor.
Do a breast self-exam monthly or as advised
by your doctor. (See below.)
How to
Examine Your Breasts
It is normal to have some lumpiness or thickening in the breasts. By
examining your breasts once each month, you will learn what is normal for you and notice
when any changes do occur. The best time to do the exam is within 3 days after your period
stops. If you have gone through menopause, do the exam the same day of each month. Some
lumpiness or thickening of the breasts is normal. Your "job" isn't just to find
lumps, but to notice if there are any changes. If you find a change in a breast, a clear
or bloody nipple discharge, or a lump, DON'T PANIC! Call your doctor or health care
provider. Most lumps are not cancer.
Breast Self-Exam (BSE) is a Three-Step Process:
1. In the shower - Lather your breasts with soap. Raise one arm. Move the pads of your 3 middle fingers, held flat, along the collarbone, over the entire breast (the tissue around the nipple too), and underarm area. Use your right fingers for your left breast; your left fingers for your right breast. Check for changes, lumps, knots, etc.
2. In front of a mirror - Holding your arms at your sides, look at your breasts. Look for any changes in the shape of either breast, or any swelling, dimpling, or changes in the nipples. Then raise your arms overhead and look for these same things.
3. Lying down - To examine your right breast, place a pillow or folded towel under your right shoulder. Place your right hand behind your head. With the pads of your left hand’s 3 middle fingers, held flat, examine all areas of your right breast, including along the collarbone and in the underarm area.
Do this gently in small circular motions around an imaginary clock face. Begin at the collarbone and the outermost top of your right breast for 12 o’clock, then move to 10 o’clock, etc., until you get back to 12 o’clock. Each breast will have a normal ridge of firm tissue. Then move in 1 inch toward the nipple. Keep circling to examine every part of your breast, including the areola (the pink or brownish area around the nipple) and the nipple. Repeat the procedure on the left breast with a pillow under the left shoulder and your left hand behind your head. Finally, squeeze the nipple of each breast gently between the thumb and index finger. {Note: If you find a lump, notice a change in the appearance of a breast, or have any clear or bloody discharge from a nipple, don’t panic! Call your health care provider. Most lumps are not cancerous.}
HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 2002 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
Date updated 07/23/02