As the awareness of breast cancer increases, so does the availability of information on the disease to the general public. There has been much research done on the disease, which includes the statistics on its prevalence and survival rates. Below is an enumeration of these statistics.
Recent figures
Breast cancer has been proven to be the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today. It is also the most common form of cancer among women. This trend is expected to continue. Studies conducted by the World Health Organization estimate that for 2006, there will be 1.2 million women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Studies have also shown that a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime is about 1 out of 7 or 13.4 percent. However, breast cancer is not restricted to women. Studies also estimate that thousands of men will be diagnosed with the disease.
With regard to death rates, it is estimated that the chance that breast cancer will be the cause for a woman’s death is about 1 in 33, or 3 percent. In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer death has declined. Doctors attribute these declines to early detection and new treatments.
Figures also show that the chance of having the disease increases with age. By the age of 30, the chance of having the disease is 1 out of 2,212. For women over the age of 80, the chance increases to 1 out of 8. However, the survival rates are less for younger women because they tend to have more aggressive forms of cancer. It has also been proven that white, Hawaiian and African-American women have the highest incidence of breast cancer as opposed to their Asian counterparts who have some of the lowest incidence rates.
Studies also show that early detection increases the survival rate by as much as 96 percent, especially for those women who detect breast cancer in its first stage. However, the survival rates for patients who have had the disease decreases after five years.
These figures tell us a number of things. One of these is that the key to surviving breast cancer is early detection. Another important thing is that women need to be aware of the risks that they face and that they should take preventive measures to mitigate the effects of this dreaded disease.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Breast Cancer Awareness
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer among women has increased. As a result of this, organizations that aim to raise breast cancer awareness have doubled their efforts to give women around the world the right information to help them prevent and deal with...
-
Male Breast Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Most people believe that breast cancer only affects women; this is because most men are not aware that they are also at risk of getting the disease. Given this, men need to be aware of the symptoms and the ways they can handle the disease....
-
Ovarian Cancer Mortality Rate
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mortality rate refers to the number of people dying due to a particular affliction. Ovarian cancer is a predominantly destructive cancer and is rarely detected in its early stages. It is the gynecological cancer with the highest mortality rate. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading...
-
Lung Cancer Survival Rate
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Several factors influence lung cancer survival rates. The type of cancer, the stage it is at when diagnosed, and the overall condition of the patient all play a role in determining survival. Cancer survival is usually expressed in terms of a five-year survival rate, which...
-
Breast Cancer Ribbons
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
One of the most famous symbols of disease awareness is the red ribbon that is used to raise AIDS awareness. This symbol has been worn by various celebrities with the aim of encouraging understanding about the disease and raising funds for prevention and its eventual...
-
Ovarian Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Ovarian cancer begins in the cells that form the ovaries. Among these cells are surface epithelial cells, germ cells, and the sex cord-stromal cells. This is why cancer cells that metastasize from other organ sites to the ovary are not called ovarian cancer. Breast and...
-
Prostate Cancer Causes
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Prostrate cancer is an old man’s disease, affecting one in six American males, with one in 32 dying of it. In 2006 over 250,000 Americans may develop this form of cancer and about 32,000 deaths are likely. It is the second most fatal cancer, after...
-
Ovarian Cancer Prognosis
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Epithelial carcinoma of the ovary or Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic diseases. It is serious and has a very high mortality rate. It is the fifth most frequent cause of cancer death in women. It is most common in women above...
-
Small Cell Lung Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Between ten and twenty percent of all lung cancers are small cell lung cancers. They derive their name from the typical appearance of small, ‘oat’-like cancer cells under the microscope. This type of cancer is found almost exclusively in smokers or former smokers. Small cell...
-
Endometriosis And Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Although Endometriosis affects one out of seven women throughout the world, not much is known about the disease. It occurs when tissue that is usually found inside the uterus appears in other parts of the body. The cause of endometriosis is unknown, though researchers have...