It has been almost 4 weeks since I first knew I may have breast cancer. Weeks filled with blood tests, doctor visits and of course, major concerns. CANCER—that word is so insidious. Even the day I was told it was definitely cancer is kind of a blur already. So much to think about and process when I already have had a year filled with some major medical issues. POW!!! I feel like I have been suckered punched. My sister Karen put it all in prospective for me. She said with all that you have going on, this cancer is the only curable disease you have. Seriously, it truly is and that seems so ironic to me.
What has surprised me most is how many women have breast cancer. The numbers are astounding to me. I have been contacted by quite a few women who I never knew had breast cancer or ones I knew did but not the particulars. No matter what type you have, just knowing you have cancer can be so daunting.
I do not pretend to be an expert at understanding this cancer. In fact, my head gets kind of foggy these days and I tend to forget what I have been told so I request hard copies of everything for my records. Because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pulmonary Fibrosis and MRSA, my treatment plan may be different from other women with the same exact Invasive Ductile carcinoma. For instance, I cannot tolerate an MRI at this point which I know they suggest is very helpful. Luckily my mammogram and sonogram were quite clear for them to proceed.
I hope to share not only my experience but any of those that are told to me. My hope is the more we are informed the more we can battle this cancer and between that and research, keep reducing the numbers. The goal is to eliminate, eradicate and just make it history.
Here are a few statistics I found quite interesting. Breast cancer has always been my number one charity but I admit I did not know very much about it, only that a few friends had it. Now I feel the need to know as much as I can, for all women.
U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics
- About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
- In 2017, an estimated 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 63,410 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
- About 2,470 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2017. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
- Breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. began decreasing in the year 2000, after increasing for the previous two decades. They dropped by 7% from 2002 to 2003 alone. One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk.
- About 40,610 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2017 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989. Women under 50 have experienced larger decreases. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
- For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
- Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2017, it's estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers.
- In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women. Overall, African-American women are more likely to die of breast cancer. For Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women, the risk of developing and dying from breast cancer is lower.
- As of March 2017, there are more than 3.1 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.
- A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, and daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
- About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. On average, women with a BRCA1 mutation have a 55-65% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. For women with a BRCA2 mutation, the risk is 45%. Breast cancer that is positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations tends to develop more often in younger women. An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations. In men, BRCA2 mutations are associated with a lifetime breast cancer risk of about 6.8%; BRCA1 mutations are a less frequent cause of breast cancer in men.
- About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
- The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).
(http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics)
Types of breast cancer:
Breast cancer can begin in different areas of the breast — the ducts, the lobules, or in some cases, the tissue in between. In this section, you can learn about the different types of breast cancer, including non-invasive, invasive, recurrent, and metastatic breast cancers, as well as the intrinsic or molecular subtypes of breast cancer. You can also read about breast cancer in men.
- DCIS — Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
- IDC — Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
- IDC Type: Tubular Carcinoma of the Breast
- IDC Type: Medullary Carcinoma of the Breast
- IDC Type: Mucinous Carcinoma of the Breast
- IDC Type: Papillary Carcinoma of the Breast
- IDC Type: Cribriform Carcinoma of the Breast
- ILC — Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer
- LCIS — Lobular Carcinoma In Situ
- Male Breast Cancer
- Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer
- Paget's Disease of the Nipple
- Phyllodes Tumors of the Breast
- Recurrent & Metastatic Breast Cancer
Stay tuned for my surgery results once I am able to get back to typing. I hope even just one woman may benefit from my blogging. I know I do from just being able to write about it.
Live Laugh and Love
Debbie 
