**BREAST CANCER FACTS**

Breast cancer - is one of the most common cancers impacting women not only in the United States but all over the world. In fact, it accounts for more than 1 in 4 cancers diagnosed in females, according to the American Cancer Society. While no one can predict exactly who will develop breast cancer, there are ways to help protect yourself. Read on for specific, simple steps to help lower your breast cancer risk and detect early signs of the disease. Learn more about this disease and what you can do to prevent it. ------Risk Factors----- **Age** Older women face a higher risk of developing breast cancer. From 2000 to 2004, 95 percent of new cases and 97 percent of breast cancer deaths occurred in women 40 or older, according to the ACS. Women between the ages of 75 to 79 are at the highest risk, with an incident rate of nearly 465 cases in every 100,000. **Family history/genetics** Women face a greater threat if their mother, sister or daughter had breast cancer, especially before age 40. And if more than one of those relatives develops the disease, that threat increases. About 5 to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are caused by inherited mutations or alterations in two genes: the BRCA1 and BRCA2. Women with BRCA1 mutations have an 65 percent risk of developing breast cancer by age 70, while those with BRCA2 have a 45 percent increased risk he disease is rare before menopause **Weight** Women who become obese after menopause face a higher risk of developing breast cancer; so do women who gain weight throughout adulthood. Citing a study posted in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the ACS reports that gaining 22 pounds after menopause ups the risk of the disease by 18 percent. And packing on 55 pounds or more after age 18 increases the risk by nearly 1 1/2 times.

**Hormones ** Reproductive hormones are believed to play a factor in breast cancer risk, according to the ACS. Women who have their first menstrual cycle before age 12, start menopause after 55 or have their first pregnancy after 30 face an increased risk. Women who use oral contraceptives face a small increased risk. On the other hand, breast-feeding has been shown to decrease the risk, even more so the longer a woman breast-feeds. Another risk factor is the use of combination hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. This treatment, which is used to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease in postmenopausal women, could increase breast tissue density, making mammograms less effective, thus delaying a possible diagnosis.

**Activity level ** Women who are physically inactive throughout life appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being physically active may help to reduce the risk by preventing weight gain and obesity.

**Alcohol ** Some studies suggest that the more alcoholic beverages a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer. Just two drinks a day — of any kind of alcohol — could increase risk by 21 percent.

**Race/ethnicity** Caucasian women have a higher incidence than black women after age 40, but black women have a higher incidence rate before age 40 and are more likely to die from the disease at every age. Early detectionFor women considered high risk (20 percent or greater increased risk), an ACS panel recommends mammographs, clinical breast examinations and MRIs. For age 40 and older who have an average risk, the ACS recommends annual mammograms and clinical breast examinations. Women ages 20 to 39 should have a clinical breast exam every three years.

**These are some of common Symtoms** 1.A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area. Soft, round, moveable lumps are likely to be benign. Hard, oddly shaped, firmly attached lumps are more likely to be cancerous. 2.Nipple tenderness 3.A change in the size or shape of the breast 4.Nipple turns inward into the breast 5.Skin redness, scaliness 6.Ridges or dimpling like the skin of an orange 7.Fluid discharge

always remember HEALTH IS WEALTH