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Facts About Mammograms, Breast Cancer

What Is A Mammogram?

Early Signs Of Breast Cancer
  • A lump is detected, usually single, firm and most often painless.

  • A portion of the skin on the breast or underarm swells and has an unusual appearance.

  • Veins on the skin surface become more prominent on one breast.

  • The breast nipple becomes inverted, develops a rash, changes in skin texture, or has a discharge other than breast milk.

  • A depression is found in an area of the breast surface.

General Facts About Breast Cancer:
  • Every two minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

  • This year, more than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected in the United States.

  • One woman in eight who lives to age 85 will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.

  • Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55.

  • About 1,600 men are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 400 are predicted to die.

  • Seventy percent of all breast cancers are found through breast self-exams.

  • Not all lumps are detectable by touch. The National Breast Cancer Foundation recommends regular mammograms and monthly breast self-exams.

  • Eight out of 10 breast lumps are not cancerous.

  • More than 2 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today.

Treatment Options:
  • Breast cancer treatments will depend on the tumor stage, menopausal status, hormone receptor status and general health.

  • Treatment plans often include a combination of methods. Most women will begin their treatment with surgery followed by another form of therapy. In some cases treatments will be given before surgery to shrink tumors.

  • Surgery: breast-conserving lumpectomy, modified mastectomy, radical mastectomy to remove the tumor and/or neighboring tissue.

  • Radiation therapy: high-energy X-ray beams that keep cells from growing and dividing in the breast or lymph nodes.

  • Chemotherapy: drugs given through the blood stream to kill or stop the growth of cancer cells.

  • Hormonal therapy: used to treat hormone-receptor positive breast cancers by limiting the amount of estrogen circulating in the body.

  • Biologic: used to treat breast cancers that overexpress genes.

Sources: The Associated Press, The Institute of Medicine, The National Breast Cancer Foundation

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