Need-to-Know Facts About Breast Cancer
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re sharing facts about the disease.
- Breast Cancer affects 1 in 8 women across the U.S.
- The U.S. alone has 3.3 million breast cancer survivors. Since 1990, death rates from cancer have slowly declined, the result of better screenings, early detection, increased awareness and improved treatment options.
- Cancer as a broad term is a class of disease that is characterized by abnormal cells growing and invading healthy cells in the body. Breast cancer begins as a group of cancer cells that can spread to surrounding tissues in the body.
- There are five ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Stay physically active
- Eat fruits and vegetables
- Don’t smoke
- Limit alcohol consumption
- It isn’t possible to prevent cancer but living with these healthy habits can lower your chances.
- If your mother, sister, father or child has been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, you have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the future. Your risk increases if your relative was diagnosed before the age of 50.
- Breast cancer occurs nearly 1000 times more often in women than in men.