Risk factors play important part of early detection
As the most common cancer in American women other than skin cancers, the Susan G. Komen Foundation estimates that almost 40,000 women will die from breast cancer in 2013.
Advances in research have led to more treatment options, early detections and screenings and a higher five-year relative survival rate, but many organizations like Komen are still striving to find a cure and educate others on the disease. October will mark the beginning of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when pink ribbons and the like are displayed in hopes of continuing the conversation about breast cancer and raising money for research.
Dr. Mark Kraemer with CHRISTUS Schumpert Breast Center said knowing your risk is the first measure in taking preventative action against breast cancer.
“There are several factors that can increase your risk of breast cancer,” Kraemer said. “As women get older, their chance of breast cancer increases. Other factors include having a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer, or a family history of breast cancer.”
The Susan G. Komen website gives a full list of the most common risk factors including, but not limited to, having an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, being exposed to large amounts of radiation at a young age, never having children, having your first child after age 35, being overweight after menopause or gaining weight as an adult, having more than one drink of alcohol per day and taking (current or recent use) birth control pills.
Although breast cancer can affect men as well, the American Cancer Society states that gender is a main risk factor in developing
the disease as women are 100 times more likely to be diagnosed. The ACS further states that as someone ages, the likelihood of developing breast cancer increases, and that although caucasian women are more likely to develop breast cancer, African-American women are more likely to die from it. They go on to say that for women under the age of 45, it is more common for African- Americans to have the disease.
A huge step in fighting breast cancer has been early detection and screenings used in both young and older women. Kraemer said girls should begin self-examinations checking for abnormalities as early as age 20, but that they should have a clinical breast exam every three years. For women 40 and older, it is recommended that a clinical breast exam be given every year, coupled with a mammogram. Kraemer adds the importance of knowing one’s body and making health a top priority.
“Know what is normal for you,” he said. “Make healthy lifestyle choices by maintaining a healthy weight and exercising [as well].”
The ACS states that receiving a clinical breast exam by a physician gives the patient and the doctor a chance to discuss changes in the breasts, as well as other early detection tests and possible risk factors. It also provides an opportunity for the patient to learn a breast self-exam, and feel more comfortable in familiarizing themselves with their breasts. Recommended to be done monthly after a menstrual cycle, a BSE is a step-by-step approach in recognizing any changes in the looks or feel of the breast.
Ultimately, the goal is always to catch any changes or abnormalities as quickly as possible. In the event that there is a detection of breast cancer, it is best to nd it before it presents any symptoms. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention lists those symptoms as a new lump in the breast or underarm, a thickening or swelling part of the breast, irritation or dimpling of breast skin, redness or aky skin in the nipple area, pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area, any change in the size or shape of the breast or any pain in any area of the breast.
Many different types of breast cancer exist, but it is always important to detect it for an early diagnosis. Treatment for the cancer depends on what stage in which it was diagnosed.
“There are several different types of treatment options, and it depends on the type of breast cancer and the stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis,” Kraemer said. “Some options include surgery [lumpectomy, mastectomy and breast reconstruction], radiation therapy and chemotherapy.”
Chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy are known as systemic therapies in which drugs can be given by the mouth or bloodstream in order to reach cancer cells anywhere in the body. Surgery and radiation are local therapies used to treat the tumor at site without affected the rest of the body. Research continues to aim for more effective and less aggressive ways in which to treat breast cancer. For more information on breast cancer, available treatments, continuing research or ways to help spread the word, visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org, or the Susan G. Komen website at www.komen.org.
