Breast Cancer: How Common Is It Really?

Breast cancer is the result of abnormal cells growing in breast tissue, causing tumours. If they are left unchecked, they can become fatal. They typically being inside the milk ducts and can spread from there. When caught early, they are not life-threatening, but if left unchecked for long enough, the cells can end up spreading to the lymph nodes or other organs that can jeopardize a person’s health.

But how common is breast cancer, really? Here is everything you need to know.

How Common Is Breast Cancer?

When seeking treatment at baptist hospital oklahoma city for breast cancer, you might be asking yourself if it’s a common health problem. In 2022, around 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and there were around 670,000 deaths related to breast cancer globally. It occurs in every country in the world, in women of any age, but the risks increase as a woman gets older.

Breast cancer ranks as the second most prevalent cause of cancer-related mortality among women, surpassed only by lung cancer. The probability of a woman succumbing to breast cancer is approximately 1 in 40, equating to around 2.5%.

Since 1989, there has been a consistent reduction in breast cancer mortality rates, amounting to an overall decrease of 42% by 2021. This decline is attributed to advancements in early detection through screening, heightened awareness, and improved treatment options. However, the decline has slowed slightly in recent years.

Who Is At Risk?

Those who are born female are at the highest risk of developing breast cancer. Approximately 99% of breast cancer cases occur in women and 0.5-1% of breast cancers occur in men. However, treatments for breast cancer in men are aligned with those used for women.

Several factors come into play that increase the risk of breast cancer developing. These include obesity, increased age, excessive alcohol consumption, having a family history of breast cancer, if there has been prior radiation exposure, tobacco use, when menstrual periods first began, and if there is any postmenopausal hormone therapy.

Another contribution is the high prevalence of gene mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB-2. Women who have had genetic testing down and found these mutations tend to consider the removal of both breasts or chemoprevention strategies.

Trends Of Breast Cancer By Race And Ethnicity

For white women, the average age of receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is 64; for black women, the age is 60. Black women have the highest rate of breast cancer, and also have a higher risk of triple-negative breast cancer, which is quite an aggressive type of breast cancer. It grows and spreads fast, has fewer treatment options, and tends to have a worse prognosis. The reason it is called “triple-negative” is because it doesn’t have estrogen or progesterone receptors (ER or PR) and also don’t make any or too much of the protein called HER2.

White, Asian, and Pacific Islander women are more likely to be diagnosed with localized breast cancer than Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native women. Asian and Pacific Islander women have the lowest mortality rate associated with breast cancer.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Cancer?

In the earliest stages, most people won’t experience any symptoms, which is why early detection is so important. There are a combination of symptoms that can take place, typically when the cancer is more advanced. These include:

• change in size, shape, or appearance of the breast
• the nipple or the skin surrounding it change in appearance
• abnormal or bloody discharge from the nipple
• a lump or thickened tissue forming in the breast
• dimpling or pitting in the skin of the breast

Symptoms can also appear depending on where the abnormal cells have spread to. The most common area is the lymph nodes in the armpit, since it is so close to the breast. These cells can also spread to the bones, the brain, the liver, and the lungs.

Treatment Options For Breast Cancer

The approach to treating breast cancer is determined by the specific subtype of the disease and the extent of its spread, whether to the lymph nodes (stages II or III) or to other regions of the body (stage IV). Treatments are usually combined in order to minimize the chances of the cancer returning, and include:

• radiation therapy
• surgery to remove the tumour
• chemotherapy, targeted biological therapies, and hormonal therapies

For breast cancer, surgery may remove just the cancerous tissue or it could involve a full mastectomy (removal of the breast). The lymph nodes may also be removed in order to hinder the cancer’s ability to spread, if the cancer proves to be quite aggressive.

Medication Treatment Options

The medications that are used to treat breast cancer are chosen based on the biological properties of the cancer. This is determined by tumor marker determination tests so that the right medications can be used. These medications can be given before or after surgery, depending on the subtype of cancer. This is because certain subtypes are more aggressive than others.

The Impact Of Treatment

Between 1980 and 2020, the mortality rate for breast cancer dropped by 40%. However, the strategies involved with improving breast cancer outcomes are dependent on strengthening the health system that can deliver these treatments to areas that need it the most.These strategies are also important for the management and treatment of other cancers and non-malignant noncommunicable diseases. One of the easiest way to do this is to have accessible pathways between primary care facilities, hospitals, and dedicated cancer centers.

Enhancing public health education to raise awareness among women regarding the signs and symptoms of breast cancer would lead to an increase in the number of women seeking medical advice at the initial suspicion of breast cancer prior to the progression of the disease. This approach remains feasible even in regions where mammographic screening is currently not practical.

If you are concerned about your current health and believe that you need to have a screening for breast cancer, be sure to contact your medical provider as soon as possible. Getting treatment early can prevent it from becoming a more complicated problem later on.