Breast cancer facts and risk factors

27 Jun

Posted by Admin as Uncategorized

Breast cancer starts in the cells of the breast. The breast tissue covers an area larger than just the breast. It extends up to the collarbone and from the armpit across to the breastbone in the centre of the chest. The breasts sit on the chest muscles that cover the ribs. Each breast is made of glands, ducts (thin tubes) and fatty tissue. Lobules are groups of glands that can produce milk. Milk flows from the lobules through a network of ducts to the nipple. The nipple is in the centre of a darker area of skin called the areola. Fatty tissue fills the spaces between the lobules and ducts and protects them.

Risk factors that increase your chances of developing breast cancer:

Family history

A single case of breast cancer among close relatives (mother, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, and aunts) only increases your personal risk a small amount, especially if the cancer was diagnosed when your relative was over 50 years old. However, the risk of a hereditary predisposition to cancer is higher if there are several cases of breast cancer in your family. This is especially true if any cases were diagnosed before age 50, or if anyone had cancer in both breasts.

Facts About Breast Cancer

FACT:

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

An estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the US this year.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about one in eight.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer for women in Ontario.

In the next year, it is estimated that 8,500 Ontario women will develop breast cancer and approximately 2,000 women will die from breast cancer.

Close to 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

There is no way to prevent breast cancer yet, but if breast cancer is found early, when it is very small, there is a good chance it can be cured.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

Many factors can impact a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer, however if you have identified one or two risks please don’t assume you will get breast cancer. Some women who have more than one breast cancer risk never develop breast cancer, and many women (approx 70%) had no risk factors at all.

being a women - approx. 99% of breast cancers occur in women

age - risk increases as you get older

having a personal breast cancer history

having a close relative (s) with breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer for women in Ontario.

In the next year, it is estimated that 8,500 Ontario women will develop breast cancer and approximately 2,000 women will die from breast cancer.

Close to 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

There is no way to prevent breast cancer yet, but if breast cancer is found early, when it is very small, there is a good chance it can be cured.

Sometimes breast cells become abnormal. These abnormal cells grow, divide, and create new cells that the body does not need and that do not function normally. The extra cells form a mass called a tumor. Some tumors are “benign,” or non-cancerous. Benign tumors generally stay where they are, don’t spread to other parts of the body, and don’t cause major health problems. Other tumors are “malignant,” or cancerous. They can spread to other parts of the body and damage healthy cells and organs. Malignant breast tumors can spread to lymph nodes, bone, liver, lungs, brain, and other parts of the body, and can cause death.