Just this week, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, best known for her roles in the TV shows "Veep" and "Seinfeld," announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She wrote on twitter, "1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I am the one."
The month of October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and I'll be doing my part to remind my patients and to remind my community about the importance of talking about this illness. Here are some facts about breast cancer and here are some risk factors to keep in mind from the American Cancer Society and the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
- 1 in 8 lifetime risk of getting breast cancer
- Breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in women
- Over 250,000 new cases of breast cancer in women in 2017
- About 40,000 women will die from breast cancer in 2017
- More than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in USA
- About 60-70% patients have no risk factors
- Genetic Risk
- Lack of Physical Activity
- Poor Diet
- Overweight/obesity
- Drinking Alcohol
There are so many other topics to mention, especially about testing, diagnosis, and treatment. But, the most important things at this point are to know the facts, and to know your risks. In addition to reviewing the information above, I encourage you to visit your Family Physician and/or your personal medical provider.
Addendum: Thanks to WKBN-TV for posting the article on the interview: "Importance of Recognition during Breast Cancer Awareness Month"