Breast cancer is malignant tumor that starts from cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that may grow into surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it too. Here are some interesting facts about breast cancer.
1. One in eight women develops breast cancer over a lifetime of 80 years.
2. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women.
3. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. More than 1 in 4 cancers are breast cancer.
4. As of 2010, there were more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S
5. A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) that has been diagnosed with
6. About 20-30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.
7. The chance of having breast cancer for a woman in her nineties is about 1 in 9.
8. Men also get breast cancer, however, men account for less than 1% of all breast cancer cases.
9. The youngest known survivor of breast cancer is Aleisha Hunter from Ontario, Canada. She had gone through a complete mastectomy to treat her
juvenile strain of breast cancer at the age of three in 2010.
10. There’s a link between increased weight and breast cancer, especially those who gained weight in adolescence or after menopause.
11. Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.
12. Ninety-six percent of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be cancer-free after five years.
13. You are never too young to develop breast cancer. Breast Self Exam should begin by the age of twenty.
14. oral contraceptives may cause a slight increase in breast cancer risk.