BREAST CANCER

Cancer has affected many of our lives.  Each year, more than 211,000 American women and 1,700 men learn they have breast cancer.  Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues in our body.  Tissues make up the organs of the body. When cells grow normal they divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them to and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are tumors that lack all three of the malignant properties of cancer. A benign tumor does not grow in an unlimited, aggressive manner, it does not invade surrounding tissues, and does not metastasize. Common examples of benign tumors include moles and uterine fibroids.

Malignant tumors start from cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that may grow into ( or invade) surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it, too.

The best method to detect breast cancer is by getting a yearly mammogram.  A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. This procedure if done annually helps detect breast cancer early before it begins to feel or cause symptoms.  Having a yearly mammogram can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. If you are age 40 years or older, be sure to have a screening mammogram every 1 to 2 years. Talk to your doctor if you have any breast symptoms or changes in your breast, or if breast cancer runs in your family. He or she may recommend that you have mammograms before age 40 or more often than usual.

                         
 NEWS . . . . . .

The news for breast cancer is encouraging:  
   Breast cancer incidence rates were stable from 2001-2003. Reports suggest this could be an
      end to the increase in incidence that started in the 1980s. It's too early to tell if this is a
      trend, and it will be a few years before the data reporting is complete. 
   Death from breast cancer from 1995 to 2003 declined in Latinas, white and black women.
   Breast cancer death rates were stable in Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska
      Native women.
As reported, breast cancer incidence is influenced by many factors including obesity and the use of mammography screening. Reports have suggested that the breast cancer incidence rate could be related to the rapid removal of hormone replacement therapy from widespread use, a known risk factor for breast cancer.
   Areas of concern for Latinos
      For the Latino population, the report highlighted areas of concern including the facts that:
   From 1999 through 2003, the report shows that while Latinos had a lower rate of most cancers
      than non-Hispanic whites, they were less likely to be diagnosed at an early stage for cancers
      such as lung, prostate, and female breast.
   Increasing county poverty was associated with more advanced breast cancer stages at the
      time of diagnosis. The county poverty rate was noted to be an indicator of availability and
      access to health care.
   Health disparities in the Latino and Non-Hispanic White populations have increased.

 

For more information on Breast Cancer visit the sites below:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/breast/page3 - National Cancer Institute

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/ - Center for Disease Control

http://ww5.komen.org/ - Susan G. Komen

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