Every 2 minutes, a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer.
The average woman has a 12% chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime. That’s 1 in 8 women. That chance doubles if you have a first-degree relative with the disease (mother, sister, daughter).
North Carolina has a slightly higher than average breast cancer rate. Approximately 7,760 new cases are diagnosed each year in women.
Men get breast cancer too! Updated statistics show that 1 in 833 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. That’s a 16% increase in the diagnosis rate of breast cancer in men in recent years!
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, accounting for 30% of all cancers diagnosed in women.
Breast cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer-related death in women, second to lung cancer.
African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages, and have higher mortality rates related to breast cancer. Early detection in the African American community is key!
Only about 10% of breast cancers can be linked to a known genetic mutation. Less than 15% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a relative with the disease.
More than 3.1 million women living in the United States have a history of breast cancer. Breast cancer is considered a chronic illness. Maintaining healthy habits and a healthy environment are critical to your continued survivorship!
Additional Facts courtesy of Breast Surgeons Foundation at www.breastsurgeonsfoundation.org
Your personal risk may be elevated if more than one relative was diagnosed when she was postmenopausal or if a relative had breast cancer at age 50 or younger.
The most common type of invasive breast cancer in young women is invasive ductal carcinoma, which is also the most common breast cancer in all women and men.
Pregnancy-associated breast cancer has an incidence of about 1 in 3,000 pregnancies and is the second most common malignancy seen in pregnant women after cancer of the cervix.
Obese women have shown a 30% higher risk of recurrence and a 50% higher risk of dying from breast cancer in studies performed by the National Cancer Institute.
Many elderly women with breast cancer have no symptoms of the disease, making regular screening and self-breast exams even more important!
Not all fats are bad. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that promote the health of many body systems, including the breast.
Klinefelter Syndrome, chronic liver disease, gallstones, Gynecomastia, and testicular diseases are factors that make men prone to breast cancer.
Not all patients need to have a mastectomy. For some patients, a lumpectomy is sufficient to remove the breast cancer and some surrounding tissue.
All mastectomies are not the same. There are actually several different types of mastectomy: radical, modified radical, total, skin-sparing, and nipple.
Compared to other types of mastectomy, nipple-sparing mastectomy has a higher complication rate.
Maintaining healthy weight can decrease both your risk of breast cancer coming back and risk of lymphedema.
Insurance companies and Medicare may cover wigs, post-mastectomy bras and prostheses with a doctor’s prescription.
Acupuncture may decrease side effects caused by cancer or cancer treatments. Just be sure to check with your oncologist before starting any additional wellness activities.
Women with dense breasts are 4 to 6 times more likely to get breast cancer than women with fatty breast tissue.
Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) may be combined with traditional whole-breast radiation therapy for women at greater risk of local recurrence.
Targeted drug therapies, similar to chemotherapy and hormone therapy, can be given before surgery, after surgery, or to treat recurrences or metastases to other organs.