Breast
Cancer Epidemiology - A Further Viewpoint
Even though numerous epidemiological
risk factors have been fully documented, it is still
evident that the formation of many specific breast cancers has not been
determined. Accordingly, epidemiological research derives the manner in
which
breast cancer manifests itself within a particular population, but it
is unable
to identify the characteristics relevant to an individual. In terms of
specifics, the dominant risk factors are known to be the following:
Sex, Age,
Childbearing, Hormones, High Fat Diet, Alcohol Consumption, Obesity,
Smoking,
Radiation, and Shiftwork.
Although the
etiology of some 95% of breast cancer cases is still not known, that
relating
to the remaining 5% of new breast cancers has been identified as being
associated with aspects of hereditary. Of particular note, are those
individuals who are known to be carriers of the breast cancer
susceptibility
genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. In such cases, there is an additional risk of
some 30-40%
in respect of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Which of these
manifests itself
is dependent upon the particular part of the protein in which the
mutation
occurs.
In terms of a
global dimension, breast cancer is without doubt the most common form
of cancer
prevalent amongst women. It has been shown that the occurrence of
breast cancer
in women is at least twice that of either colorectal cancer or cervical
cancer,
and of the order of some three times that of lung cancer. However, in
the case
of women, the global rate of mortality of breast cancer is
approximately 25%
greater than that of lung cancer. Studies have shown that, in 2005,
there were
502,000 deaths globally attributable to breast cancer. Putting this
death rate
into perspective, it represents only 7% of all deaths due to cancer and
a mere
1% of deaths attributable to all causes. However, it must be noted that
the
number of cases of breast cancer identified worldwide has shown a
marked
increase since the 1970’s. A number of reasons for this have been put
forward,
but the most likely candidate is the change in lifestyle experienced in
Western
societies.
In
the
United States,
amongst native Americans and the natives of
Alaska, the
last few years have seen a
steady decline in both the incidence and reported death rates from
breast
cancer. The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) is a non-profit
organisation in the
United States
established in order to facilitate
the health of all women through research, education and campaigning.
Founded in
1990, the SWHR highlighted the need to include women in fundamental
medical
research studies and the requirement for greater information concerning
factors
affecting women predominantly, and how their needs differ from those of
men. In
this respect, a
US
study in 2005 by the SWHR identified the widespread belief that breast
cancer
was by far the most feared disease amongst women notwithstanding the
fact that
the rate of mortality in women from heart disease is so much greater.
It is
noteworthy that evidence from doctors has suggested that many women
greatly
exaggerate their vulnerability to contracting breast cancer.
Breast
Cancer
– How To Succeed
Peter Radford writes Articles with Websites on a
wide range of subjects. Breast Cancer
Articles cover Background, Symptoms, Risk, Prevention, Treatment
His Website
contains over 100 Breast Cancer Articles
View his Website at:
breast-cancer-how-to-succeed.com
This Article may be reprinted so long as the
Resource Box remains in tact.
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