17, Oct 2024
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an important reminder about the impact of breast cancer in our community and personal lives.
According to the American Cancer Society, the average risk of an American woman developing breast cancer in her lifetime is one in eight. Fortunately, the United States is making progress in early detection and treatment for breast cancer, leading to a decrease in mortality. While many lumps in a woman's breast are benign, any lump should be checked out by a healthcare professional to determine if it is cancerous.
Cancer rates can vary by race. Although African American women have a relatively lower incidence of breast cancer than Caucasian women, they are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer and a higher mortality rate. Native American women have a lower rate of breast cancer than white women and Asian women have a lower mortality rate than other races. Breast cancer in men is quite rare, accounting for about 1% of all breast cancer cases.
There are populations where genetic testing helps understand underlying genetic risk, which has implications for the treatment of the disease as well as in managing the risk of future breast cancer and even other cancers. A few ways to reduce your risk of having breast cancer are not smoking, limiting alcohol, increasing aerobic exercise, and maintaining a healthy body weight.
A palpable breast cancer most likely will feel like a hard, fixed mass as opposed to a soft, mobile mass. However, since many cancers are not palpable, it is very important to have a yearly screening mammogram beginning at 40 years of age for women at average risk. Any new or enlarging lump should be examined, regardless of age.
The majority of women have no symptoms from early breast cancer and may otherwise feel healthy, so the annual mammogram is often the key to making an early diagnosis. Some women may have a routine mammogram and may have symptoms such as a lump, skin changes, nipple discharge, or swollen lymph nodes, which lead to a cancer diagnosis.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used for a patient with a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer or to clarify something ambiguous that shows up on a mammogram or ultrasound, especially for dense breast tissue. Other indications for breast MRI are in patients who have newly diagnosed breast cancer and those with a prior history of breast cancer.
While fatalities from breast cancer have reduced in recent decades, one in 40 women still die from breast cancer in the United States, making it second only to lung cancer. Treatment is targeted to the tumor subtype and based on the stage of disease. It is best to treat breast cancer as an interdisciplinary team comprising surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, and genetic counselors to create a treatment plan to maximize the patient's outcome and goals for treatment."
Breast cancer survival is greatly influenced by the stage at presentation. If the cancer is contained within the breast, the survival rate for women with breast cancer is about 99%. Overall, the U.S. five-year survival rate from all stages of breast cancer is about 91%.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle and healthy weight, avoid smoking, limit alcohol, and stay physically active. Discuss hormone replacement therapy with your doctors and how that can affect cancer risks. If you notice any change in nipple appearance, abnormal nipple discharge, feel a breast lump, pitting of the skin over the breasts, or breast or nipple pain, reach out to your doctor immediately.
Dr. Sue Mitra and her staff strive to offer their patients the best care, advice and services available in the medical field with the goal to keep patient healthy & happy.
Dr. Sue Mitra is board certified in international medicine. She is seen here with a Cologuard, which is a noninvasive colon cancer screening test. (Photo by: Tim Shortt/Florida Today)