Breast Cancer Information

Many women are worried that they might get breast cancer, and who can blame them, it is a scary thing. Not to mention as very personal issue and a big emotional one. But how can women really know what their risk is to getting breast cancer? Is there any way to predict this? What about age, nationality, diet, ethnic origin or genetic displacement?

Breast cancer is more prevalent in American and European women than with Japanese women for some reason, although many demographic researchers believe that might change in the future as more of the American and European culture enters the Japanese lifestyle. Other than that statistic there are no real sizable statistical difference between ethnic categories and cancer of the breast.

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that affects around 44,500 people each year. It can affect both men and women with approximately 300 men being diagnosed with the condition annually.
The most serious form of breast cancer is metastatic cancer which involves the spread of a cancer from the place where it began. It generally metastasizes into the lymph nodes under the arms or above the collarbone on the same side of the body as the cancer which results in pain and swelling to the affected area as the lymphatic drainage system is compromised. Other common sites of breast cancer metastasis are the brain, liver and the bones.

Apart from the very obvious factor of gender, age is a critical factor when looking at the risk of contracting breast cancer. Although it can and does appear at any age the risk of getting it certainly rises as you get older. A normal woman aged 30 will normally have a 1 in 280 chance of getting breast cancer by the time she reaches 40. However, this then increases to a 1 in 70 chance when that same women is in her forties.

Unlike what you may have heard, there is no concrete evidence to support the link that birth control pill causes breast cancer risk. Many studies have identified a very weak link between these pills and the occurrence of breast cancer. As a matter of fact, the incidences of breast cancer from the use of birth control pills are about 4.7 women out of 10,000 at the most. Therefore, women should not worry themselves too much in the use of birth control pills for contraceptive purposes.

The last thing you want to be aware of is the link between breast cancer and exposure to pesticides and unnecessary antibiotics. Although research is not conclusive, you should be aware of the link between the two. The molecular structure of some pesticides resembles that of estrogen. In addition, scientists have found a link between antibiotic use and breast cancer. The longer antibiotics are used, the greater the risk is of getting breast cancer.

This Breast Cancer Information blog dedicated to support and give information for women and it is intended for general information only.