Breast cancer is a devastating diagnosis for any woman. However, women who are over the age of 50 see their risk for cancer more than double that of women in their 30s. If women of every age visit their doctor, receive periodic screenings and perform regular breast self-exams, they have a higher chance of finding breast lumps and cancer early.
Older versus Younger
All women are at risk of breast cancer, and the incidence goes up with age. According to the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, "The majority of new breast cancer deaths occur in women aged 50 and older." In women under the age of 40, this incidence drops to less than 5 percent, again according to this foundation. See the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation link in Resources.
Function
This information is important to women everywhere, not only medical or oncology researchers. If women know the facts and statistics, they are more able to take preventive measures to avoid getting breast cancer. For women with a certain breast cancer gene mutation (BRCA1 or 2), her risk rises from 50 percent to 85 percent
Significance
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 3.41 percent of women in their 60s will develop breast cancer in the next 10 years; this risk rises to 6.65 percent in the next 20 years and 8.55 percent in the next 20 years. By contrast, 0.43 percent of women age 30 will develop breast cancer in the next 10 years; this increases to 1.85 percent in the next 20 years and 4.18 percent in the next 30 years. See the Risk of Breast Cancer link in Resources.
Considerations
While younger women have a lower risk of developing breast cancer, this is not a reason to ignore common health practices, such as breast self examinations (BSE). Women of every age group need to visit their physician annually; women over the age of 40 should undergo a baseline mammography and schedule these screenings as recommended by their doctors.
Effects
Although this is a sobering topic, if women make sure they visit their doctor regularly, perform a monthly BSE and undergo biannual or annual mammograms, they will be more likely to catch the disease early on, increasing their likelihood of survival. Ongoing publicity, fundraising and research efforts by the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen foundation provide a good basis for hope.
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