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Monthly Spotlight: Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

   Breast cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the breast. It can start in one or both breasts. Cancer starts when cells begin to grow out of control. Breast cancer occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it too. It’s important to understand that most breast lumps are benign and not cancer (malignant). Non-cancer breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not spread outside of the breast. They are not life-threatening, but some types of benign breast lumps can increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer. Any breast lump or change needs to be checked by a healthcare professional to find out if it is benign or malignant (cancer) and if it might affect your future cancer risk. Breast cancer can spread when the cancer cells get into the blood or lymph system and then are carried to other parts of the body. 

   There are many different types of breast cancer. The type is determined by the specific kind of cells in the breast that are affected. Most breast cancers are carcinomas. The most common breast cancers such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive carcinoma are adenocarcinomas since the cancers start in the gland cells in the milk ducts or the lobules (milk-producing glands). Other kinds of cancers can grow in the breast, like angiosarcoma or sarcoma, but are not considered breast cancer since they start in different cells of the breast. --The American Cancer Society

  • In 2020, the latest year for which incidence data are available, in the United States, 239,612 new cases of Female Breast cancer were reported among women
    • In Iowa, 2,194 new cases of breast cancer were reported
    • 42,273 women died of this cancer
  •  For every 100,000 women, 119 new Female Breast cancer cases were reported
    • 19 women died of this cancer.
  • Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. 
    • One of every five deaths in the United States is due to cancer.
  • About 0.5-1% of breast cancers occur in men
  • Age-standardized breast cancer mortality in high-income countries dropped by 40% between the 1980s and 2020. 
  • Countries that have succeeded in reducing breast cancer mortality have been able to achieve an annual breast cancer mortality reduction of 2–4% per year.
  • The objective of the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) is to reduce global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% per year
    • This thereby averts 2.5 million breast cancer deaths globally between 2020 and 2040.
    • Reducing global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% per year would avert 25% of breast cancer deaths by 2030 and 40% by 2040 among women under 70 years of age.
  • Estimated new cases in 2023: 297,790
    • That's 15.2% of all new cancer cases
  • Estimated deaths in 2023: 43,170
    • % of cancer deaths: 7.1%
  • Approximately 13.0 percent of women will be diagnosed with female breast cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2017–2019 data.
  • In 2020, there were an estimated 3,886,830 women living with female breast cancer in the United States.
  • About 90.8% of people diagnosed with female breast cancer have a 5-year relative survival
  • In 2023, an estimated 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States.
  • An estimated 530 U.S. men will die from breast cancer in 2023
  • The lifetime risk of a U.S. man developing breast cancer is about 1 in 833

Information gathered from the CDC, the World Health Organization, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute

  • Breast cancer incidence rates in the United States began decreasing in 2000, after increasing for the previous two decades.
    • They dropped by 7% from 2002 to 2003 alone.
  • A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
    • Approximately 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
    • About 5% to 10% of breast cancers can be linked to known gene mutations inherited from one’s mother or father.
    • About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer.
      • These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
  • On average, women with a BRCA1 mutation have up to a 72% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.
    • Women with a BRCA2 mutation have up to a 69% risk.
    • Breast cancer that is positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations tends to develop more often in younger women.
  • An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations.
  • In men, BRCA2 mutations are associated with a lifetime breast cancer risk of about 6.8%
    •  BRCA1 mutations are a less frequent cause of breast cancer in men.
  • The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are being a woman and getting older.
  • If you’re trans or non-binary, it’s essential that you speak with your doctor about your personal risk level so you can make sure to get screened as often as makes sense for you. 

Information gathered for you by BreastCancer.org

From the American Cancer Society, here are some ideas and methods of how to detect and prevent breast cancer:

  • Both increased body weight and weight gain as an adult are linked with a higher risk of breast cancer after menopause.
    • The American Cancer Society recommends you stay at a healthy weight throughout your life and avoid excess weight gain by balancing your food intake with physical activity.
    • The American Cancer Society recommends that adults get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week (or a combination of these), preferably spread throughout the week.
      • Getting to or exceeding the upper limit of 300 minutes is ideal.
  • Alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. Even drinking small amounts of alcohol has been linked with an increase in risk.
    • It is best not to drink alcohol at all.
    • For women who do drink, they should have no more than 1 alcoholic drink a day.
      • A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (hard liquor).
  • Women who choose to breastfeed for at least several months after childbirth may also get the added benefit of reducing their breast cancer risk.
  • Using hormone therapy after menopause can increase your risk of breast cancer.
    • To avoid this, talk to your healthcare provider about non-hormonal options to treat menopausal symptoms.
  • You can get genetic counseling and testing
    • If there are reasons to think you might have inherited a gene change that increases your risk of breast cancer
  • Medicines such as tamoxifen and raloxifene block the action of estrogen in breast tissue.
    • Tamoxifen might be an option even if you haven’t gone through menopause, while raloxifene is only used for women who have gone through menopause.
    • Other drugs, called aromatase inhibitors, might also be an option for women past menopause.
    • All of these medicines can also have side effects, so it’s important to understand the possible benefits and risks of taking one of them.
  • For the small fraction of women who have a very high risk of breast cancer, such as from a BRCA gene mutation, surgery to remove the breasts (prophylactic mastectomy) may be an option.
    • Another option might be to remove the ovaries, which are the main source of estrogen in the body.
    • While surgery can lower the risk of breast cancer, it can’t eliminate it completely, and it can have its own side effects.
  • For women at increased breast cancer risk who don’t want to take medicines or have surgery, some doctors might recommend close observation.
    • More frequent doctor visits (such as every 6 to 12 months) for breast exams and ongoing risk assessment
    • Starting breast cancer screening with yearly mammograms at a younger age
    • Possibly adding another screening test, such as a breast MRI
    • While this approach doesn’t lower breast cancer risk, it might help find it early, when it’s likely to be easier to treat.