The Truth About
Breast Cancer
Information supplied by Waukesha Memorial Hospital
From "I'll probably get it" to "I'll die if I do," breast cancer myths abound. "Many women have a distorted sense of their risk," says Kay Klaas, MD, women's imaging specialist at Waukesha Memorial Hospital's Center for Breast Care.
Getting the big picture on the facts as opposed to reading day-to-day headlines, can put your risk in perspective. "The basic facts can be reassuring and can help quell anxiety," Klaas says. Some common concerns, and a realistic look at the facts and figures, follow.
Myth: I'll probably get breast cancer when I'm older.
True, a woman's average risk of developing the disease increases with age. Still, your risk at age 25 is 1 in 19,608; at 35, 1 in 622; at 45, 1 in 93; at 55, I in 33; at 65, 1 in 11; at 75, 1 in 9; and at 85, 1 in 8. If you have a family history of breast cancer, you may have a higher risk.
Myth: If I get it, I'll die.
Detected early, the five-year survival rate is more than 95 percent. Another way of looking at it is this: When your risk of getting breast cancer is 1 in 9, your chance of dying of it is 1 in 28.
Myth: Mammograms can't be trusted.
We've all heard stories about breast cancers that were missed by mammograms. Many of these occurred several years ago before Congress enacted stringent accreditation laws that raised the reliability of mammograms. Your best bet is to choose a specialty center, where technologies specialize in taking mammograms and radiologists read at least 10 exams a day. The Center for Breast Care at Waukesha Memorial Hospital is staffed by radiologists certified by the American College of Radiology who read more than 15,000 mammograms annually.
Myth: If I have a biopsy, I'll have a scar.
Technology to the rescue. Today, physicians can zero in on the suspected site, removing less tissue than with conventional surgery. Biopsies, the only sure way to detect breast cancer, traditionally fall into three categories.
1. fine needle aspirations;
2. large core needle biopsy, and
3. excisional biopsies (done to remove an entire, abnormal lump).
A type of large core needle biopsy, the Mommatome stereotactic biopsy system, uses digital imaging to pinpoint the questionable tissue. A hollow needle, about the size of a thermometer, is inserted through a nick in the skin and tissue is withdrawn through it. No stitches are needed. All procedures leave little if any scarring.
Myth: My diet is raising my risk.
While studies surrounding breast cancer and lifestyle factors are ongoing, more research is needed. Today's best advice is to eat a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables and whole grains, exercise regularly, drink alcohol in moderation, if at all, and don't smoke.
Keep in mind that breast cancer cannot be prevented. Early detection, however, can mean a cure. The three lifestyle measures every woman should take are performing monthly breast self-exams, having an annual manual breast exam by a physician, and undergoing yearly mammograms beginning at age 40.
Information supplied by Waukesha
Memorial Hospital.
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