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Breast Cancer Awareness: Statistics, Risks and Proactive Measures

Each year, when October roles around, we use it to help raise public awareness on the topic of breast cancer. The statistics for those diagnosed with breast cancer continue to grow, but the death rates from those affected by breast cancer seem to be decreasing. That says something!

Here are the U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics updated on 01/09/2018 from breastcancer.org:

  • About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12.4%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
  • In 2018, an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 63,960 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
  • About 2,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2018. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
  • Breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. began decreasing in the year 2000, after increasing for the previous two decades. They dropped by 7% from 2002 to 2003 alone. One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk.
  • About 40,920 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2018 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989. Women under 50 have experienced larger decreases. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
  • For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
  • Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2017, it’s estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers.
  • In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women. Overall, African-American women are more likely to die of breast cancer. For Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women, the risk of developing and dying from breast cancer is lower.
  • As of January 2018, there are more than 3.1 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.
  • 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. Less than 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
  • About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. On average, women with a BRCA1 mutation have a 55-65% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. For women with a BRCA2 mutation, the risk is 45%. Breast cancer that is positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations tends to develop more often in younger women. An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations. In men, BRCA2 mutations are associated with a lifetime breast cancer risk of about 6.8%; BRCA1 mutations are a less frequent cause of breast cancer in men.
  • About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
  • The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).

The statistics tell us that our continued efforts to spread the word for breast cancer awareness is useful. So, we will continue to point out any helpful tips and/or ways to manage and grow our awareness on this topic. We, at SportPort, will also continue to design, create and offer our patented designed sports bras and athletic tops that include a phone-safe pocket. We created our unique sports bra design as a pro-active measure for being able to carry our phone close to our bodies while staying safe in do so. There is not enough awareness and not enough science supporting issues around EMF and the EMF our phones use to function. We don’t want to say “sorry”… we hope to better stay… “safe”!

Here is a current compilation of some of the best tips on risk and proactive measures for our breast cancer concerns:

  • Women (and men) with close relatives who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, ovarian or prostate cancer have a higher risk of developing the disease.
  • About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary, caused by abnormal genes passed from parent to child.
  • If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, you’re 3 to 4 times more likely to develop a new cancer in the other breast or a different part of the same breast.
  • If you had radiation to the chest to treat another cancer (not breast cancer), you have a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer.
  • Research has shown that dense breasts can be 6 times more likely to develop cancer and can make it harder for mammograms to detect breast cancer.
  • If you had radiation to the face at an adolescent to treat acne (something that’s no longer done), you are at higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
  • Overweight women have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer compared to women who maintain a healthy weight, especially after menopause.
  • Research shows a link between exercising regularly at a moderate or intense level for 4 to 7 hours per week and a lower risk of breast cancer (and can help keep weight in check). Studies suggest a 25-40% average risk reduction is possible among physically active women as compared to the least active women.
  • Women who haven’t had a full-term pregnancy or have their first child after age 30 have a higher risk of breast cancer compared to women who gave birth before age 30.
  • Breastfeeding can lower breast cancer risk, especially if a woman breastfeeds for longer than 1 year.
  • Women who started menstruating younger than age 12 have a higher risk of breast cancer later in life.
  • Women who go through menopause when they’re older than 55 have a higher risk of breast cancer later in life.
  • Current or recent past users of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Limiting dose and duration can help, so discuss your concerns, treatment and options with your doctor.
  • Research consistently shows that drinking alcoholic beverages above moderate levels — beer, wine, and liquor — increases a woman’s risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Keep alcohol at moderate levels or lower (a drink a day or under). A drink is 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.
  • Smoking causes a number of diseases and is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer in younger, premenopausal women.
  • Don’t forget mammography screenings… studies show that breast cancer screening with mammography saves lives. It doesn’t help prevent cancer, but it can help find cancer early when it’s most treatable.
  • Avoid exposure to environmental pollution. Cancers mat be caused by pollution that affects us through our environment. They can come in many forms of chemicals, such as chemicals used and found in our foods, in our makeup, cosmetics and even sunscreens, in the use of some plastic products, in certain water sources, used in our lawns and gardens to kill weeds or pests and more.
  • Avoid exposure to radiation. Radiation exposure is not just from an x-Ray. Radiation comes in many forms, with some forms considered less harmful than others. The demand for EMF (electromagnetic) or RF (radio-frequency) radiation is growing fast due to higher demands for computers, increased WiFi needs, and better smart cellphone service. No one knows with certainty what the damage of the excess EMF exposure might be. Scientific studies take longer than the growth on demand and production for technological gadgets. So…

SportPort believes that an active and proactive lifestyle is important. That’s why we created the first-ever sports bra with a cellphone safety pocket to help protect against EMF passing through your phone. And, we will continue to incorporate EMF safety standards and cellphone safe-use into our lives and sportswear. For more information about what SportPort has learned and knows, see our Knowledge Base of articles.

Resources and more information on breast cancer and breast cancer awareness:

– Breast Cancer Statistics from BreastCancer.org (as listed above): https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
– Breast Cancer Facts from the National Breast Cancer Foundation: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-facts
– Breast Cancer Genetic Factors from BreastCancer.org: https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/genetics
– Breast Cancer Risk Factors from BreastCancer.org: https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors

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