REMEMBER, EARLY DETECTION HELPS SAVE LIVES Be sure you and your loved ones follow the recommended guidelines from the American Cancer Society for early detection of breast cancer. If there is a history of breast cancer in your family consult your doctor on the need to begin these steps at an earlier age. Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. Yearly mammograms with a clinical breast exam are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as woman is in good health. Clinical breast exam (CBE) should be part of a periodic health exam, about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s. Women at high risk (greater than 20% lifetime risk) should get an MRI and a mammogram every year. Yearly MRI screening is not recommended for women of average risk of breast cancer.
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT BREAST CANCER IN THE U.S. A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. Every 3 minutes, there is a new diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. Approximately 230,480 women and 2,140 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Every 13 minutes, a life is lost to breast cancer. 39,520 women and 450 men in the U.S. will die from the disease annually. The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 2.6 million U.S. women with a history of breast cancer are living today, more than half of whom were diagnosed less than 10 years earlier. Most of these individuals were cancer-free, while others still had evidence of cancer and may still be undergoing treatment. There are more than 250,000 women under the age of 40 in the U.S living with breast cancer, and over 11,000 will be diagnosed this year. White, non-Hispanic women are more likely to develop breast cancer but African-American women are more likely to die from it. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Hispanic women.
MEN GET BREAST CANCER, TOO Survival for men with breast cancer is similar to survival for women, when their stage of diagnosis is the same. Men at any age may develop breast cancer, but it is usually found in men between 60 and 70 years of age. Male breast cancer makes up less than 1% of all cases of breast cancer. Male breast cancer is sometimes caused by inherited gene mutations, and a family history of breast cancer can increase a man’s risk.