Understanding Breast Cancer | The Wellness Center

Understanding Breast Cancer

The Wellness Center Staff, October 2009

This year, the American Cancer Society estimates that over 190,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will occur and over 40,000 women will die from the disease. Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women.

With October marking the observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, now is a good time to better understand this disease and what you can do to lower your risk.

What follows is a three-part series which provides the latest breast cancer statistics and reviews the factors that increase your risk for developing the disease. Next, the behaviors you can adopt to reduce your breast cancer risk are identified. Then, the key nutritional supplements that play a role in the prevention, treatment and recurrence of breast cancer are reviewed.

Latest Breast Cancer Statistics

Currently, a woman has about a 12.3% or 1 in 8 lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. After increasing for more than 20 years, breast cancer incidence decreased by 2.2% per year from 1999-2005. However, these reductions may be the result of fewer women receiving mammograms (66.4% of women over 40 years had a mammogram in 2005 compared with 70.1% in 2000) which delays detection and more women discontinuing menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). As the population ages and the prevalence of obesity rises, breast cancer incidence may rise again in the future.

Death rates for breast cancer have steadily declined since 1990, especially in women under 50 years old. The 5-year relative survival for female breast cancer patients is 89%. In woman diagnosed with breast cancer before age 40, it is slightly lower at 82%. For women with localized breast cancer (not spread to other areas or lymph nodes), it is 98%.

Due to later stage detection (associated with a lack of health insurance), African American women have a lower five year survival rate (77%). Unequal access to medical care, treatment disparities and the presence of other illnesses contribute to these race inequities.

Risk Factors for Developing Breast Cancer

All breast cancers are caused by abnormal genes; these abnormalities can be either inherited or acquired. However, abnormal genes account for just 5-10% of all breast cancers.

The vast majority of breast cancer cases are in women that have no family history of the disease – they acquire a genetic abnormality as a result of diet, hormonal factors, environment or unknown reasons.

A number of factors increase the risk of developing breast cancer. But, to a large extent, the risk is related to a women’s lifetime exposure to estrogen. To assess your risk, both the National Cancer Institute and the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention offer risk assessment tools on their websites.

The following are a number of factors that influence breast cancer risk:

Female. Breast cancer largely affects women although 1% of new breast cancer cases and deaths are in men. Because the disease is associated with women, late stage diagnosis is more common in men.

Age. The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age. At age 30, a woman’s risk is 0.43% or 1 in 234. At age 70, her risk increases to 3.9% or 1 in 26.

Personal or Family History of Breast Cancer. If you’ve already had breast cancer, then your risk of a recurrence is higher than for someone who has never been diagnosed. If someone in your family has breast cancer, then your chances of developing this disease may be also be higher. Much depends on the age of diagnosis – a sister diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 presents a higher risk than if your mother is diagnosed at age 75.

Genetic Mutations. Two genes, BRCA1 (Breast Cancer gene one) and BRCA2 (Breast Cancer gene two) are associated with the majority of inherited cases of breast cancer. Women with an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene have up to an 85% risk of developing breast cancer by age 70. While individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish decent are more likely to have this genetic mutation, these altered genes are present in less than 1% of the general population.

Race. Whites have a higher incidence of breast cancer than Hispanic/Latino, Asian or African American women. But, in women under 40 years, African Americans have the highest risk of breast cancer incidence. The mortality rate in African American women is the highest of any race.

High Breast Tissue Density/Breast Changes. High breast tissue density has been shown to be a strong independent risk factor in the development of breast cancer. Certain changes to breast tissue are associated with increased risk of breast cancer.

Long Menstrual History. Early periods (before age 12) and late menopause (over age 55) expose a woman to estrogen over a longer period of time. This increased exposure to circulating estrogen is linked to increased risk for breast cancer.

Late Pregnancy or No Pregnancy. Women who give birth after age 30, who have fewer pregnancies or who never have children, have a higher risk for breast cancer.

Radiation Therapy Before 30 Years. High-dose radiation to the chest, especially before age 30, is associated with higher breast cancer risk.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT). Many women discontinued the use of MHT after results published in 1992 from the Women’s Health Initiative study showed an increased risk of developing breast cancer in women taking MHT. Higher risk is associated with longer use. MHT is no longer recommended for osteoporosis as newer drugs like Fosamax, Evista, and Boniva prevent bone loss without the increased breast cancer risk (note, these drugs aren’t without their problems; they have a different set of side-effects and risks).

While each of these factors plays a role in the risk for developing breast cancer, they are largely out of our control. The good news is that a number of dietary and lifestyle factors can be modified which can help to reduce your risk. To learn more, review the articles listed below.

Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk

Supplements & Breast Cancer