Breast cancer is a disease in which
malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.
The damaged cells can invade
surrounding tissues in the breasts, but with early detection and treatment,
most people are able to lead a normal life.
Results
of research on breast cancer in the United States
One in eight women will be diagnosed
with breast cancer in her lifetime.
Breast cancer is the most
commonly diagnosed cancer in women.
Breast cancer is the second
leading cause of cancer death among women.
Each year it is estimated that
over 230,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast
cancer and more than 40,000 will die.
Although breast cancer in men
is rare, an estimated 2,350 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and
approximately 440 will die each year.
Over 2.9 million breast cancer
survivors are alive in the United States today.
Breast cancer as a global burden
From Healthline.
The
World Health Organisation, WHO, said,
“Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, claiming the
lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year and affecting countries at
all levels of modernization”.
However,
in recent years, perhaps coinciding with the decline in prescriptive hormone
replacement therapy after menopause, we have seen a gradual reduction in female
breast cancer incidence rates among women aged 50 and older.
Death
rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990 due to better screening
and early detection, increased awareness, and continually improving treatment
options.
Culled from Nation Breast Cancer Foundation, INC, and
re-written by us.
