Breast Cancer
The Best Prevention is Early Detection
How many women get breast cancer?
Excluding cancers of the skin, Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for more than 1 in 4 cancers diagnosed in US women.1
An estimated 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the United States during 2007. 1 In 2007, approximately 40,460 women are expected to die from breast cancer. 1
Breast cancer death rates are going down. This decline is probably the result of earlier detection and improved treatment.
Who should be screened?
Routine screening for breast cancer starting at age 40 is recommended once a year. For women age 20 – 39, Clinical Breast Exam (CBE) should be performed every three years during your woman’s health exam with your Physician. Women at risk may benefit from earlier mammography testing.
Who is at risk?
- Every woman is at risk - 1 woman in every 8 will get breast cancer in their lifetime.2
- Besides being female, age is the most important risk factor for breast cancer. 2
- Increased risk factors:
- If your mother or sister had breast cancer, you are more likely to develop breast cancer, especially if they had it at an early age
- Radiation therapy to the chest that was given more than 10 years ago, especially in women younger than 30 years old, may increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.
How is breast cancer found?
Mammography is the first line and the best available method. It can detect breast cancer an average of 1-4 years before a woman can feel the lump. 3
A clinical breast examination (CBE) is an exam of your breasts performed by your doctor and is very valuable when done along with a mammogram.
There is no better tool in the fight against breast cancer that early detection. When detected at its early stages, the five-year survival rate is 98%. 1
How do I schedule a Mammogram and where do I go?
It is your responsibility to call and make an appointment for your yearly routine screening. From the list below, contact the facility most convenient for you to schedule an appointment. Facilities noted with an asterisk (*) require a written prescription. Call your physician if you are planning to use one of these facilities.
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2 http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/probability-breast-cancer
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, Fact sheet, 2004.
