ARTICLES

Are You At Risk of Breast Cancer?

By: Gian Erguiza - August, 2008

The alarming rate of breast cancer patients is increasingly growing everyday. Until today, we don’t fully understand the cause of breast cancer, although it is clear that a woman’s gender, age, exposure to estrogen and her age by her first childbirth, play a prominent role. The other alarming reason why breast cancer is so scary is the simple fact that since we don’t fully understand the cause, there are no sure ways to prevent it either.

There are steps that you can take to make developing breast cancer less likely. The most obvious step is to lead a healthy lifestyle. Leading a healthy lifestyle does not eliminate you from getting breast cancer but will most likely reduce the risk. Maintaining a healthy weight, limiting the amount of alcohol consumption, and exercising regularly are also big factors of reducing the risk.

So are you at risk? Most women have more factors than one in developing breast cancer but will never get the disease. Changing your lifestyle can change some of the risk factors but some, you simply do not have any control over. Remember, there is no one cause of breast cancer and being a woman is simply enough to be at risk. Your doctor is your first line of defense so make sure that you consult with your doctor and discuss the options if you are concerned with your risk of acquiring breast cancer. Here are some probable risk factors:

Getting older
Mutation in the Breast Cancer 1 (BRCA 1) or Breast Cancer 2 (BRCA 2) genes
Having a family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer
Starting menopause at the age of 55
Never having children
Having a previous biopsy showing hyperplasia or carcinoma in situ
Having your first child after 30
High density on a mammogram
Gaining weight as an adult
Having more than one alcoholic drink per day
Having your first period at the age of 12

The above listed risk factors are known and probable. All women are at risk of getting breast cancer. Although the list is comprehensive, there are new cases of breast cancer every year. That means that most women who will acquire breast cancer have no risk factors except for getting older and for being a woman. With inherited mutations, only 5 to 10 percent actually get breast cancer.

The good news so far is, chances of survival from breast cancer are good. 90 percent of the women that are diagnosed with breast cancer have a 5 year survival rate. This stat means that 90 out of 100 women with breast cancer will survive without any recurrence for the next 5 years. Even better news is that most women live the rest of their lives without recurrence. Of course, this all has to do with early detection of the cancer before it starts spreading into the other parts of the body. When breast cancer is confined to the breast, the survival rate is 98 percent. This is why it is so important to take the steps to detect the early stages of breast cancer.

So what are the best defenses against breast cancer? The best way to check for breast cancer in its earliest stages is to routinely check your breasts for signs and symptoms of the disease. The American Cancer Society has provided us with these three basic methods:

Mammograms: Mammograms are X-ray pictures of the breast. Mammograms provide a way to detect the early stages of the disease, even before a lump can be felt. It is a known fact that all women at the age of 40, needs to get a mammogram every year. If you are under the age 40 and have a family history of breast cancer, talk to your health care provider to find out when you should start getting mammograms.

Clinical breast exam: A clinical breast exam is performed by a health care provider. The health care provider will check your breasts carefully and will check your underarm areas for any lumps or changes that may be present. A good number of women get a clinical breast exam when they get their Pap test. The number of clinical breast exams depends on your age. For women between the ages of 20-39, a clinical breast exam is required at least every 3 years. Women who are at age 40 and over should get a clinical breast exam each year.

Breast self-exam (BSE): BSE involves two main steps which are looking and the feeling of breasts for any changes from normal. If you feel or notice any change on the look and feel of your breasts, go see your health care provider right away. Once at the age of 20, a monthly BSE exam is suggested a few days after your period ends. If you no longer have periods, do the BSE exam on the same day for each month. If you are confused about BSE or have questions, consult with your health care provider so they can show you the steps to BSE.

I Email to Friend I Print