Editorials - 10/17/02

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Know the facts

The facts are chilling. Some 175,000 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. Of that number, 43,000 - almost 25 percent - will die.

Early diagnosis could save many of those lives.

The biggest risk for developing breast cancer is being a woman. The disease strikes one in eight females; males account for only 1 percent of all cases.

Risk factors for breast cancer include being over age 50, having a personal or family history of breast cancer, never giving birth and giving birth after age 30. Risk increases as women age, with more than 75 percent of new cases and 84 percent of breast cancer deaths occurring in women age 50 or older.

Health care professionals emphasize over and over that early detection is the best defense against this killer. Breast cancer is highly curable in its early stages.

Mammography is the best tool for detecting cases of breast cancer early, and women past age 40 should have yearly exams. Breast self-examination is also important for all women. Because most women who develop breast cancer have no family history of the disease, it is vital for all women to follow these recommendations.

The American Cancer Society, the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem, offers a number of programs and services to aid those diagnosed with breast cancer. These include Reach to Recovery, a volunteer support program comprised of breast cancer survivors; Tell A Friend, which has trained volunteer callers contact five women they know to encourage them to have mammograms; and I Can Cope, which provides educational classes on diagnosis, treatment and coping for people with cancer and their families and friends.

For more information about the ACS, the world's largest source of private, non-profit cancer research dollars, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit online at www.cancer.org.

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