Cancer grows when a cell’s DNA is damaged, but why or how that DNA becomes damaged is still unknown. It could be genetic or environmental, or in most cases, a combination of the two. But most patients will never know exactly what caused their cancer.
The Numbers
- About 13% (about 1 in 8) of U.S. women are going to develop invasive breast cancer in the course of their life.
- About 2,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2022. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 833.
- A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
- About 43,250 women in the U.S. are expected to have died in 2022 from breast cancer.
- Breast cancer death rates have been decreasing steadily since 1989, for an overall decline of 43% through 2020. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances and earlier detection through screening. However, the decline has slowed slightly in recent years.
Risk Factors That Cannot Be Changed
- Age
- Race
- Family history of breast cancer
- Personal health history of cysts
- Early menstruation
- Late menopause (after age 55)
Avoidable Risk Factors
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Being overweight/obese
- Combined hormone replacement therapy
Breast Cancer is Not Caused By
- Wearing underwire bras
- Implants
- Deodorants
- Antiperspirants
- Mammograms
- Caffeine
- Plastic food serving items
- Microwaves
- Cell phones
Common Symptoms
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
- Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
- Pain in any area of the breast.
Sauk Valley Screening Activities
- CGH Hospital 815.625.0400 ext. 5550
- KSB Hospital 815.284.5700
- Free cancer screening opportunity in Illinois: http://www.cancerscreening.illinois.gov/howToApply.htm
- Whiteside County Health Department 815.626.2230 ext. 3
- Speak to your doctor about teaching you how to give yourself a breast exam.
Breastcancer.org. (2022, March 10). Breast Cancer Facts and Statistics. Www.breastcancer.org. https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics
Causes of Breast Cancer (2023). National Breast Cancer Foundation. https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/causes-of-breast-cancer/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 14). CDC – What Are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/symptoms.htm
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