Washington Health System
10/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/08/2024 13:29
October 2024 Resident of the Month – Emma Holliday, D.O.
Breast Cancer
With October being breast cancer awareness month, it is important to take the time to understand the warning signs, risks, and screening options for breast cancer. An estimated 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, which equals a diagnosis every 2 minutes in the US. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 310,720 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024. Furthermore, about 42,250 will die of the disease. It accounts for 30% of new cancers in women, and it is the most common non-skin cancer in women in the US.
Risk Factors
The main risk factors for breast cancer include being female and increased age. Other risk factors include tobacco use, exposure to estrogen, early onset of menstruation, dense breast tissue, older age at first birth, hormone use for menopause symptoms, and obesity. There is also a hereditary component, where women who have mutations in certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, can have a higher level of risk.
Men can also be at risk for breast cancer, with risk factors including radiation exposure, genetics, and elevated levels of estrogen.
Warning signs
Warning signs for breast cancer include breast lumps, enlarged lymph nodes in the arm pits, changes in breast size or shape, dimpling of the nipple or skin, and nipple discharge. If you have any of these signs or symptoms, speak to your doctor.
Screening
Current guideline recommendations include yearly mammograms for women starting at the age of 40. If a first-degree relative was diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 50, mammograms should start 10 years before diagnosis. If screening needs to start before the age of 30 due to family risk factors, women will undergo yearly breast MRIs.
No matter who you are or your stage of life, breast cancer can affect anyone. It is important to know your risk and your normal so you can speak with your health care provider if something does not look or feel right. If you have any questions about your risk of breast cancer or when screening should start for you, speak to your family medicine doctor today.