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How much do you really know about breast cancer?

Breast Cancer Facts

  • An estimated 40,480 women will die from breast cancer in 2008.
  • Approximately 182,460 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2008.
  • Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.
  • Mammography can detect breast lumps too small to be felt.  Mammography is the most accurate early detection technique.

The following conditions increase risk for breast cancer:

  • history of breast cancer in close family members (mother, sister, daughter)
  • obesity
  • high-fat diet
  • increasing age
  • early first menstrual cycle or late onset of menopause
  • never had children or had first child after age 30

However, more than 75 percent of all breast cancers occur in women with no known risk.

Survival By Stage Diagnosis

Generally, survival has an inverse relationship with the stage of cancer at detection- the more advanced the cancer stage, the lower the survival rate. According to the most recent available data, five-year survival rates by stage of disease at diagnosis for all women are:

  • 96 percent when cancer is diagnosed at a local stage (confined to the breast). Only 58 percent of cancers are diagnosed at this stage, but regular mammography combined with regular clinical breast exams and breast self-exams offer the best opportunity to increase this percentage.
  • 75 percent when cancer is diagnosed at a regional stage (cancer has spread to surrounding tissue). 32 percent of cancers are diagnosed at this stage.
  • 20 percent when cancer is diagnosed at a distant stage (cancer has spread to distant tissues). Only 6 percent of cancers are diagnosed at this stage.

Breast self-examination (BSE) is easy to learn, convenient and free. Brochures describing how to perform BSE are available from the Center for Breast Health, the American Cancer Society, and the National Cancer Institute. The Center for Breast Health also conducts free BSE classes on a regular basis.

Warning Signs

Warning signs of breast cancer include:

  • lump or thickening in the breast or armpit
  • change in size or shape of breast
  • change in size or shape of nipple
  • nipple discharge
  • change in color or texture of breast skin (i.e. dimpling, puckering or scaliness)

See your doctor immediately if you have one of these warning signs!

Free mammography vouchers, made possible through the Komen Quad Cities Race for the Cure®, are available for  women who are not covered by an insurance plan or unable to afford an exam.  Medicare and many insurance companies also include mammograms as a covered benefit.  Vouchers are available at Center for Breast Health, call 563-421-7625 or toll free 1-800-215-1444.

American Cancer Society Guidelines for Mammograms

The American Cancer Society recommends that women age 40 and older have an annual mammogram, an annual clinical breast exam by a health care professional, and perform monthly self breast examinations.

Women ages 20-39 should have a clinical breast exam by a health care professional every 3 years.

All women should perform breast self-examinations on a monthly basis.

For more information on breast health or breast cancer, call the Center for Breast Health at 563-421-7625 or toll-free at 1-800-215-1444.