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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The New York State Department of Health reports that each year nearly 14,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the state of New York. In addition, about 3,000 women in this state die each year from this disease. Men can also have breast cancer, but it is much less common.
Age is the most important factor in the risk of contracting breast cancer. At age 25, the risk of breast cancer in a woman is 1 in 19 608. At age 50, it increases to one in 50. At age 65, it increases to one in 24.
Do not hesitate, schedule a mammogram today and encourage a friend or family member to do the same. Mammograms with ENH's new state-of-the-art 3D mammography equipment are now scheduled at the Hospital Imaging Center at 5875 S. Transit Road in Lockport. Appointments are available from 7h to 21h. Call 514-5624 to make an appointment!
Other risk factors include:
Family history. Women whose close relatives (parents, siblings, children) have had breast cancer (especially at an early age) are more likely to develop breast cancer.
Genetic. Women with certain changes in breast cancer genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. About 5 to 10% of breast cancers are due to genetic factors.
Personal history. Women who have had breast cancer are more likely to develop it in the other breast or in the remaining breast tissue. Women with a history of certain types of benign (non-cancerous) tumors and breast cysts are more likely to develop breast cancer. Women with dense breast tissue also have an increased risk of contracting the disease.
Hormonal factors. Women who start menstruating at a young age, menopause in old age, have their first child later in life or who have not had a full term pregnancy may have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Do not breastfeed. Failure to breastfeed increases the risk of breast cancer in women.
Use of hormones. The long-term use of hormone replacement therapy (combined estrogen and progesterone) increases the risk of breast cancer. However, women who have not used hormone replacement therapy in the past 10 years may not run an increased risk.
Personal behaviors. Some personal behaviors have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer. These include excessive consumption of alcohol and do not do enough exercise. In addition, overweight or obesity increases the risk of breast cancer after menopause.
Ionizing radiation. Exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation in the chest early in life, such as radiotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma, increases the risk of breast cancer.
Despite the risk factors, the key to survival is early detection. All women should perform monthly breast exams, in addition to annual clinical exams. Mammograms should be prescribed by physicians according to a schedule correlated with age and risk factors.
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. Modern mammography devices designed for breast X-rays use very low levels of radiation, usually a dose of 0.1 to 0.2 rad by radiography (a rad is a measure of radiation dose). Many people worry about x-ray exposure but the level of radiation used in modern mammograms does not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, mammograms can detect between 85 and 90% of breast cancers. Mammography can also detect cancers up to two years before it can be felt, which means early on when the cancer is the most curable.
Do not hesitate; plan a mammogram today.
Peter Fisk is Director of Radiology at Eastern Niagara Hospital. Eastern Niagara Healthlines is a bi-weekly feature of Union -Sun & Journal of the ENH Community Relations Department. Questions can be directed to community relations at 514-5505 or 778-5071, extension 570.
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