Awareness, early detection are key

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, second to skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. And while advances in treatment are helping women live longer, it still accounts for nearly one in three cancers diagnosed in U.S. women.

The American Cancer Society reports that in 2016, an estimated 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States, and an estimated 40,450 women will die from the disease this year.

While death rates from breast cancer in the United States have dropped since 1990, the rate for new breast cancers diagnosed among African American women increased slightly from 2006 to 2010.

The two main risk factors are being female and age. The majority of those new cases will be in women age 45 and up, an ACS report says. Almost eight of every 10 new breast cancer cases and almost nine out of 10 breast cancer deaths are in women age 50 and up, according to the ACS.

Family history and genetics contribute to a higher risk. Obesity and weight gain are also risk factors, as are various hormone-related factors. Physical activity, alcohol intake and smoking are also being linked.

Women who get regular physical activity have a 10 percent to 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer, the ACS says, and many studies have shown that drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer in women by 7 percent to 12 percent per serving per day. The ACS recommends limiting alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day.

In addition, a study by the ACS found that smokers have a 12 percent higher risk of breast cancer, and the risk may be greater for women who begin smoking before giving birth to their first child.

Awareness and early detection are the best ways to combat the disease.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and every year one day in October — this year it’s Oct. 21 — is National Mammography Day. On this day, or throughout the month, radiologists may provide discounted or free screening mammograms — low-dose Xray procedures that enable doctors to see the internal structure of the breast and possibly detect cancers that cannot be felt.

Clinical breast examinations should be part of every periodic health exam — every three years for women in their 20s and 30s, and every year for women 40 and older. The examinations are a complement to regular mammography screening, recommended annually for those 40 and up, and an opportunity for women and their health professionals to discuss changes in their breasts, risk factors and detection options.

For more information, visit cancer.org.