Breast Cancer Awareness Month - October 2003



Breast cancer is a major public health problem in many countries, with incidence and mortality high in Western industrialized nations, although relatively low in developing ones. Unfortunately, it seems that the Iranian breast cancer patients are relatively younger than their western counterparts and mostly have locally advanced disease though I do not know if there is any study has been done to investigate the probable reasons. The sad point iis that the health policy makers in Iran still believe that they should not talk about Breast in public media.


Here is some statistics about breast cancer
In the United States of America (USA) breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed nondermatologic cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths among women. It accounts for 32% of all newly diagnosed cancers. US data indicate that the incidence of breast cancer increases directly with age until 75-80 years. In 1996, a woman in the USA had a 1-in-8 chance of developing breast cancer and a 1-in-28 chance of succumbing to the disease over her lifetime.
Being born in North America or northern Europe increases the risk of developing breast cancer, while Hispanic-American women develop the disease at a younger age than white women. Other demographic characteristics associated with increased risk of developing breast cancer include increasing age, high socioeconomic status, never having been married, and for breast cancer diagnosed after 45 years of age, Caucasian origin. Early menarche, late menopause, late-age first full-term pregnancy and low parity all increase risk. Removal of the ovaries at an early age is protective. (Reference IARC).
(posted by Iman)


Posted:Wednesday, October 01, 2003 |