Breast Cancer Awareness

WHAT IS BREAST CANCER?

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. It can start in one or both breasts and starts when malignant cells begin to grow out of control. There are many different types of breast cancer that can affect both women and men. To determine the extent of an individual's breast cancer and if it has spread outside the breast, the cancer is assigned a stage upon diagnosis. Breast cancer stages range from 0 to 4. Early detection of breast cancer through annual mammography and other breast exams is the best defense against receiving a late-stage diagnosis.  

Information from the American Cancer Society and National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. websites.

DID YOU KNOW?

• 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
• In 2023, an estimated 297,790 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
• When caught in its earliest, localized stages, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%.
• Advances in early detection and treatment methods have significantly increased cancer survival rates. There are currently over 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers.
• On average, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.

MYTHS

• A breast injury can cause breast cancer.
• Breast cancer is more common in women with bigger breasts.
• Breast cancer only affects middle-aged or older women.
• Breast pain is a definite sign of breast cancer.
• Consuming sugar causes breast cancer.
• All breast cancers are the same.

Facts/Myths from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. website.