Breast Cancer, what you don't know can kill you

One woman in 9 in the United Kingdom will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.

Each year 39,200 women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer and although survival rates are improving, on average 74 per cent of women are still alive five years later, too many women will die from the disease. On average 12,800 women die from breast cancer each year

Age is the biggest risk factor for breast cancer, with 80 per cent of all breast cancers occur in post-menopausal women (assuming average age of menopause is 50). However, approximately 8,000 pre-menopausal women are diagnosed with the disease each year..

Men can also suffer from breast cancer, although they make up less than one per cent of all new cases of the disease. Those who get breast cancer are usually over 60 years of age and approximately 60 per cent of these men survive for at least five years. Men account for 300 new cases of breast cancer a year in the UK and about 100 men die from the disease a year.

Britain has one of the highest breast cancer death rates in the world. Statistics cannot begin to describe the impact that breast cancer has on the lives of those women who are affected by it and on their families, friends and colleagues.

Age is the single most important factor in influencing breast cancer risk — the older a woman is the higher her risk of developing breast cancer, 80 per cent of all breast cancers occur in post-menopausal women (based on the average age of menopause being 50).

Family history — women with a hereditary genetic susceptibility account for between five and 10 per cent of all breast cancer cases. They tend to have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer and these cancers usually occur in close family members, such as their grandmother, mother, aunt or sister, at an early age.

Not having children — women who do not have children are 10 to 30 per cent more likely to develop the disease. Hormones play an important role in the development of breast cancer, so having children decreases the risk of breast cancer.

A late first pregnancy — a woman who has her first child in her thirties is 63 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer before the menopause and 35 per cent more likely to develop the disease afterwards than a woman who has her first child at 22.

Starting your periods early — a woman whose periods began at the age of 15 is at only two thirds the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer of someone whose periods started at 11, with a decrease of seven per cent for each year that periods were delayed.

A late menopause — women who start their menopause after the age of 55 are twice as likely to develop the disease as those who experience the menopause before the age of 45.

The human body is made up of billions of cells. Normally, these cells grow, divide and die in a controlled way to produce and replace the body's tissue. If something disrupts this controlled process a cancer can grow.

Breast cancer is caused when the cells that make up the breast tissue fail to die, instead they endlessly divide and eventually grow into tumours. Once a tumour has formed, some of the cells can break off and travel to other parts of the body, and then form other tumours.

If the problem can be detected early on, then there is a good chance it can be successfully treated. The more the cancer has spread, the more difficult it is to treat.

To be breast aware means becoming familiar with how your breasts look and feel. You should understand how your breasts may change at different times during the month and also as you get older. The important thing is to recognise which changes are usual and which are not. Make sure you know what is normal for you.

For some women, breasts become enlarged, tender and lumpy just before a period, and then return to normal once the period is over, others may have swollen breasts throughout their cycle. Age, pregnancy, Hormone Replacement Therapy and the menopause can all affect the size and feel of your breasts.

What you should do
You can help yourself by checking your breasts at least once a month. Why not try doing it in the shower, using your hands to wash yourself rather than a sponge or flannel? Just a few minutes every now and then could help save your life. Look for these changes, and remember, if you are in any doubt visit your doctor.

Look!
Look at yourself in the mirror; look for changes that are unusual. For example:

- Any change in the shape or size of the breast or nipple
- Any change in the position or colouring of the nipple, including inversion
- Any dimpling, denting, scaling or discolouration of the skin

Feel!
Feel your breasts; feel for anything that is not normally there. For example:

- A lump or swelling in your breast, that feels different from the rest of your breast tissue
- A lump or swelling in the armpit, arm or around your collarbone

Be breast aware!
Recognise any other changes. For example:

- Discharge from one or both nipples
- A pain in the breast, armpit or arm that is new for you.

Report any changes that you find to your doctor without delay, and establish a monthly routine for checking your breasts!

Source: Breast Cancer Campaign