Except for some skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women. About 41,000 women and 450 men in the U.S. die each year from breast cancer.
Mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Most women who are 50 to 74 years old should have a screening mammogram every two years. If you are 40 to 49 years old, or think you have a higher risk of breast cancer, ask your doctor when to have a screening mammogram. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women. About 11% of new cases of breast cancer in the U.S. are found in women younger than 45 years of age.
Some things may increase your risk. The main factors that influence your breast cancer risk are being a woman and getting older. Other risk factors include:
- Certain genetic risk factors (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2) that can put some women at higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
- Having your first menstrual period before age 12
- Never giving birth, or being older when your first child is born
- Starting menopause after age 55
- Having dense breasts, which can sometimes make it hard to see tumors on a mammogram.
- Taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
- A personal history of breast cancer or certain non-cancerous breast diseases.
- A family history of breast cancer (parent, sibling, or child)
- Previous radiation therapy to the breast or chest
Symptoms of breast cancer can include:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
- Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
- Any change in the size or shape of your breast
- Pain in the breast
Remember that other conditions can cause these symptoms. If you have any signs that worry you, make sure to contact your health care provider right away.
Many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence your breast cancer risk. You can’t change some factors, such as getting older or your family history, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by doing the following:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise regularly
- Avoid alcohol. Studies show that a woman’s risk for breast cancer increases with the more alcohol she drinks.
- Talk to your health care provider if you’re taking hormones – some forms of hormone replacement therapy taken during menopause can raise the risk of breast cancer when taken for more than five years. Certain birth control pills have also been found to raise breast cancer risk.
For more information about breast cancer screening and prevention, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
The St. Mary’s County Health Department helps eligible women receive screening services for breast cancer. For more information, visit our website or call 301-475-4330.