Breast Cancer Awareness Month

On the initiative of the World Health Organization, on October 19 the international day of the fight against breast cancer is celebrated worldwide, to raise awareness and promote that more and more women access timely controls, diagnoses, and effective treatments. 

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women since statistics state that 1 in 8 women develops breast cancer in her lifetime, but what does that really mean? It means a lifetime risk of 12% of the female population since 12 out of 100 women will contract the disease. Men are also at risk of breast cancer, but it is much lower than that of women.

Many factors influence your risk of developing breast cancer: family history, reproductive history, diet, alcohol consumption, weight, use of hormones, and radiation exposure. Some risk factors are modifiable – meaning you can change them, such as diet and alcohol use. But others are not modifiable, such as family history or the early onset of menstruation.

Risk factors can increase your chance of developing cancer, but they do not mean that you are certain that you will develop cancer. It is also important to note that about 70% of women who develop breast cancer do not have any of these risk factors and more than 85% do not have a family history of the disease. Because of this fact, all women should talk to their providers about breast cancer screening.

The Most Important Risk Factor Is Age

The risk of breast cancer is higher as a woman ages: more women get breast cancer in their 60s and 70s than in their 30s or 40s. The risk increases gradually as the woman ages.

Women who have their first menstrual period before age 12 or go through menopause later (after age 55) have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. This is believed to be because they will have a longer lifetime exposure to estrogen in their bodies. Along the same lines, some studies have suggested that breastfeeding may slightly reduce risk. This can also be related to the number of menstrual periods and exposure to estrogen.

The woman’s age at the first birth of a child can affect risk, but the effect varies depending on the number of first-degree relatives who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. For women with 2 or more first-degree relatives (ie mother, sister) with a diagnosis, their risk decreased with older age at first live birth. For women without a family history, the risk increases with age at first live birth.

Family History of Breast Cancer

How the diagnoses of your family members affect your risk depends in part on your relationship and at what age the woman or women in your family were diagnosed. If you have a first-degree relative (sister, mother, daughter) with a diagnosis of breast cancer, your risk is twice that of someone with no family history. Having 2 first-degree relatives with the disease increases your risk about 3 times. If your father or brother has had male breast cancer, your risk also increases, although it is not clear to what extent. If you have a first-degree relative (s) with the disease, you may need to start screening mammograms at an earlier age than the ACS guidelines of 40. Please discuss this history with your healthcare providers to determine if there are red flags for inherited cancer syndromes, which warrant a conversation with a genetic counselor and possibly genetic testing.

But what about most women, who have more distant relatives with the disease? This is where things get less secure. If the family history has multiple people diagnosed with the same cancer or diagnoses before age 50, speaking with a genetic counselor is warranted. Otherwise, the evidence of increased risk is less convincing, and standard screening (annual mammogram, age 40 and older) is generally recommended. As with any family history, be sure to discuss your situation with your healthcare providers.

International Day of The Fight Against Breast Cancer

On the initiative of the World Health Organization, on October 19 the international day of the fight against breast cancer is celebrated worldwide, to raise awareness and promote that more and more women access timely controls, diagnoses, and effective treatments. Each step makes a difference in a battle that cannot be won without the support of the entire community.

In 2019, our employees attended Komen Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Virtual MORE THAN PINK Walk, but this year 2020, because of Covid-19, the Foundation announced they are going fully virtual for the first time ever, and may not be able to walk side-by-side, although they invited participants to come together virtually to share their stories, and encourage people to walk in their neighborhood, local park, or wherever they’re able to socially distance with their family, friends, and team members, and raise money to save lives.