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- Anyone (regardless of gender) can get breast cancer, not just women.
- Risk of breast cancer increases with age.
- A woman’s risk of breast cancer doubles if she has a mother, sister or daughter who has had breast cancer
- 1 in 8 women get diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
- A woman gets diagnosed with breast cancer every 2 minutes.
- Women who gets regularly screened for breast cancer have a 47% lower risk of dying from breast cancer compared to those who don’t.
- 1 in 10 Asian American and Pacific Islander women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
- Currently, there are around 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
- Breast cancer is always caused by damage to a cell’s DNA.
- Breast cancer does not always come in the form of a lump. It can come in the form of skin texture changes, lymph node changes, swelling, redness, pain, and more. There can also be no signs or symptoms.
- The most common type of breast cancer is Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Approximately 80% of all diagnosed breast cancers are Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. This cancer however, is one of the most treatable types of breast cancer. The diagnosis is typically followed by a lumpectomy, a surgery to remove the lump of cancer cells. If cancer cells remain, the patient will go through radiation.
- Tumors can be invasive or non-invasive. Invasive breast cancer can spread past the milk ducts and lobules into surrounding tissues. Non-invasive cancer is contained to the milk ducts/lobules.
- African American individuals are the most likely to get diagnosed with breast cancer. They also have a higher breast cancer mortality rate due to lower rates of surgery and chemotherapy.
- There are two different types of mammograms, screening and diagnostic. These mammograms show cysts, fibroadenomas and calcification.
- 63% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at the localized stage. The localized stage is when there is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the breast. breast cancer that is diagnosed in the localized stage, has a 99% 5-year relative survival rate.
- There are 5 different stages of breast cancer, starting at stage 0, ending with stage 4.
- Chemotherapy is performed before radiation therapy. Chemo is first since it helps minimize the need for surgery and radiation by shrinking the mass of cancer cells.
- About 5 to 10% of breast cancers are linked to gene mutations passed through generations of a family.
- Breast cancer does NOT always result in the removal of the whole breast. It depends on the size of the tumor and the type of treatment or surgery the cancer requires. There are two main types of surgeries that a patient could go through, a mastectomy or a lumpectomy.
- 40% of individuals have breast reconstruction done after they get a mastectomy. Breast reconstruction is typically by way of flap reconstruction or implant reconstruction.
- Approximately 42,000 women in the US die from breast cancer each year. Screening and awareness decreases this number because it helps individuals catch breast cancer early on.
- The most common sign of early breast cancer is a painless new lump or mass. There are plenty of other common symptoms that can indicate breast cancer. Remember, knowing which symptoms to look for does NOT replace regular screening.
- 5 years after initial treatment, there is an average of 6% breast cancer recurrence. There are 3 main types of recurrence, local recurrence, distant recurrence, and regional recurrence.
- Triple negative breast cancer has no common receptors. If the cancer is tested positive for the 3 receptors, The doctors use estrogen, progesterone and HER2 to destroy cancer cells. Typically if you have Triple Negative breast cancer, these won’t work, and it is treated with a lumpectomy or mastectomy, then chemotherapy.
- Different types of breast cancer are not treated in the same way. The type of treatment used depends of the size, stage, and location of the cancer, whether the cancer is linked to an inherited gene, likeness of recurrence, and a patient’s preference of certain medications.
- Mammograms are more difficult to interpret when women have a high breast density. Women with dense breasts have a higher risk of getting breast cancer because tumors are harder to see on mammograms.
- Hispanic/Latina women are often diagnosed with aggressive types of breast cancer, such as triple-negative, at more advanced stages. This is due to genetics, lifestyle and access to healthcare. Because of this, Hispanic/Latina women are 30% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women with breast cancer.
- Breast cancer most commonly forms in the mammary glands or ducts, located in the upper, outer quadrant of the breast extending out to the armpit. 50% in the mammary glands, 18% in the nipple area, 11% in the lower outer quadrant, 6% in the lower inner quadrant.
- Less than 1% of pregnant women are found with breast cancer. Approximately 1 in 3000 pregnant women are diagnosed, This type of breast cancer is called gestational breast cancer, or pregnancy-associated breast cancer. It is so rare because it is much harder to locate small breast cancer related lumps when a woman is pregnant.
- 20% of woman are diagnosed with breast cancer in stage 0. Stage 0 is when the cancer is non-invasive and has not spread to the surrounding tissue. Stage 0 cancer is typically treated with radiation or surgery.
- The 5-year survival rate for women with metastatic breast cancer is 29%. A 5-year survival rate is the percentage of people who will be alive 5 years after diagnosis. Metastatic breast cancer is when the cancer spreads beyond the lymph nodes, specifically into the liver, lungs and brain.
- Deodorant does NOT cause breast cancer or increase the risk of getting breast cancer. Many people believe that deodorants containing aluminum can cause or increase the risk of breast cancer. This is FALSE!
- Invasive lobular carcinoma is when cancer begins in the glands that produce milk, and spreads to nearby tissue. 10% of breast cancers are lobular invasive carcinoma.
- The average cost for breast cancer treatment is $85,000. There are several private organizations that provide financial assistance for people undergoing breast cancer treatment.
- 90% of women with breast cancer are diagnosed with localized or regional breast cancer. Localized breast cancer is when the cancer has not spread to anywhere outside of the breast. Regional breast cancer is the type of cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. Distant breast cancer means the cancer has spread to outside organs such as lungs, liver or bones.
- Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells, bone marrow, hair follicles and nerves. Chemotherapy uses drugs to target and destroy breast cancer cells. It is often used in addition to other treatments, like surgery and radiation. Chemotherapy can have many different short-term and long-term effects on a patient.
- Clinical trials are used to find new cancer treatment, find new ways of diagnosing cancer, reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and for managing drug side effects. There are many different types of clinical trials, including therapeutic clinical trials, basket & umbrella trials and non-therapeutic clinical trials.
- Node-positive breast cancer is a type of breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. Nodal involvement is the first indication that the breast cancer is spreading to distant parts of the body. Node-positive breast cancer is considered to have a higher risk of recurrence.
- The rate of cell growth for breast cancer cells is important in treatment. Ki-67 is used to measure how quickly cells are dividing. Ki-67 can be used to help determine how quickly the tumor is growing. It can also be used to determine the likelihood of cancer returning, and which treatments may work best to reduce the risk of recurrence.