Sources: Cancer Research UK; BBC Health News; American Cancer Society; US National Cancer Institute

According to Britain’s Cancer Research UK, the risk of a woman developing breast cancer has increased from 1 in 9 to 1 in 8.  Breast cancer rates in the UK have increased by 3.5% in 10 years, from 42,400 new cases in 1999 to 47,700 in 2008.

Here in the States, the American Cancer Society has estimated that by the time the statics are finalized for 2010, 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer will have been diagnosed in women and 39,840 women will have died from breast cancer.  Breast cancer in the US rose for more than 2 decades before stabilizing in 2007.

However there is no overall difference in the rate. The US estimates mean that a woman born in the US today has an average risk of 12.2 percent ( the same “1 in 8”) of being diagnosed with breast cancer at some time in their lives.  As in the US, UK Women aged between 50 and 69 have seen the biggest rise in breast cancer rates of 6%.  Almost half of UK breast cancer cases in 2008 (48%) were in women aged between 50 and 69.  19% are women aged 25-49.

 

While genetics plays a strong role, with family history featuring prominently in a woman’s individual risk for breast cancer, even small changes in healthy habits could reduce the risk. The top recommendations are: 1.) Stop smoking; 2.) Eat healthier, including a diet high in fiber and low in saturated fat; and related, 3.) Lose weight  (Being overweightincreases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer by up to 30%, because excess body fat raises levels of hormones such as estrogen and insulin – common features of cancers and diabetes).

Increasing the risk of breast cancer are: 1.) Age -which one can do the least about other than be more vigilant for signs and symptoms; 2.) HRT (Hormone replacement therapy) –women using hormone replacement therapy have a 66% increased risk of breast cancer; 3.) Alcohol -drinking as little as one alcoholic drink per day increases breast cancer risk by as much as 12%.

The World Cancer Research Fund suggest that making these simple changes in lifestyle could result in about 79,000 cases of all kinds of cancer being prevented yearly, reducing new breast cancer cases specifically by 42%.

Post: David M. Schwadron, Esquire