“Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer.” http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/BreastCancer/DetailedGuide/breast-cancer-key-statistics About 226,870 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women and 39,510 women will die from breast cancer according to the American Cancer Society. The World Health Organization says, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide!”
Some more facts obtained from the National Cancer Foundation
- One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
- Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.
- Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.
- Each year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.
- Although breast cancer in men is rare, an estimated 2,150 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 410 will die each year.
What are the causes of breast cancer? No one knows exactly for sure the causes of breast cancer, but there are risk factors one should be aware of such as smoking, drinking alcohol and diet. These factors plays a role in overall health and increases your chances of developing breast cancer. Fortunately, these risk factors are avoidable by improving your diet, not smoking and avoiding alcohol. An unavoidable risk factor would be hereditary where it is genetically inherited from your family history in addition to age, gender, and other factors. Although it is an unavoidable reality of possibly developing the disease eating healthy foods with antioxidants, exercise and dropping old habits as mentioned earlier will only help improve your chances of not developing the disease.
What does cancer do? Cancer attacks healthy DNA cells causing tumors and mutates destroying healthy cells in the body.
Are there any symptoms or signs? There are little sings you may or may not notice such as lumps in your breast, swelling, fluid coming out of the nipples, skin changes or anything unusual that you notice differently. Lumps in the breast may not be breast cancer at all. It may be a cyst. It is important to check with your doctor and DO NOT self diagnose!
Are there any preventive measures I can take? It is important to get your yearly physical and have a mammogram done once a year especially for women over 40. Check with your local health department if you do not have health insurance for free or low cost mammograms. You can also conduct monthly self-breast exams. Click on link to learn how. http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam
It is better to know early by following the steps above in order to lower your chances. Being healthy is a lifestyle and we have free will to choose and to do right by our bodies. We know that there are some things that happen that are unavoidable even though we take every measure to do the right thing. All we can do is do our best by eating right, taking vitamins, exercising, conduct monthly self-exams and getting our yearly physical/mammogram. We owe it to ourselves to do that much!
For more information on Breast Cancer visit:
Sources:
http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/what-is-breast-cancer
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/BreastCancer/DetailedGuide/breast-cancer-key-statistics
To make a donation of your choice and you would like to learn more of the existing organizations visit;
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=497&gclid=COCDjLPK4rICFQP0nAod6wQAfQ
The statistics of getting this dreadful disease is pretty scary. Woman lets do our best to stay healthy and support those who've been touched by this monster of a disease.
Getting our mammograms is so important.