Breast Cancer 2009 Fact Sheet
Introduction
An estimated 192,370 women and 1,910 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2009, and 40,610 will die of the disease (an additional 62,280 will develop non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ, which means only in the milk ducts). If found early and treated before it spreads, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 98 percent for localized disease. Regular screening for breast cancer increases the likelihood of early diagnosis and survival.
At Risk
- A family history of breast cancer (Risk increases with diagnoses in several close relatives or diagnoses before age 50.)
- A family history of ovarian cancer
- Genetic mutations (BRCA-1, BRCA-2 or others)
- Increasing age, with most breast cancer diagnosed in women over 40
- Menstrual periods before age 12 or menopause after age 55
- Obesity or sedentary lifestyle
- Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen and progesterone
- Exposure of breasts to previous radiation therapy
- Previous breast cancer in one breast
Risk Reduction and Early Detection
- If you have babies, breastfeed them.
- If you drink alcohol, limit your drinking to one drink a day if you are a woman and two drinks a day if you are a man.
- Be physically active and exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy body weight.
- In your 20s and 30s, have a clinical breast exam (CBE) by a health care professional every three years.
- Beginning at age 40, have an annual CBE.
- At age 40, begin annual screening mammography.
- If you are at high risk, talk to your health care professional about beginning to have screening mammograms at a younger age.
- If you are at very high risk, you may also have annual MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) exams.
- Ask your health care professional about other ways to reduce risk.
- If you have a family history of breast cancer, discuss genetic testing with a genetics counselor.
Breast self-exam is one way that you can get to know what is normal for your breasts. If you notice changes, see your health care professional right away.
Symptoms
Don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Get screened according to guidelines. If you do notice any of the following symptoms, talk to your health care professional.
- A lump, mass or thickening in the breast
- A lump in the underarm area
- Change in the size or shape of a breast
- Nipple pain, tenderness or discharge, including bleeding
- Nipple turning inward or inverted
- Change in skin color and texture: dimpling, puckering or redness
- Breast that feels warm or swollen
Treatment
Therapy depends on the type and the stage of the breast cancer.
- The most common treatment is surgery to remove the cancer itself (lumpectomy) combined with radiation. In about 20% of cases, removal of the breast (mastectomy) is needed.
- Other therapies—chemotherapy or hormone therapy—may be used alone or in combination before or after surgery.