Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means we’ll hear a lot of statistics this month that may seem a bit frightening. The goal of all these numbers isn’t to frighten women or their families—it’s to get them to think seriously about the risk of breast cancer and what they should do about it.

According to authorities on breast cancer, women have a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer. That chance varies from woman to woman once specific risk factors such as age and family history are taken into account. A average 40-year-old woman could have a risk as high as one in eight or as low as one in eighty-five depending on such factors.

For statistical purposes, breast cancer risk is spread out over the lifetime of a hypothetical woman who lives to be 110. More than half the risk occurs after age 60 and a third of the risk occurs after age 75. A woman’s risk is affected by environmental and genetic factors like family history of breast cancer in a mother or sister, when the woman went through puberty and her first pregnancy.

Regardless of how the statistics are interpreted, the threat of breast cancer must be taken seriously. While researchers are constantly working towards better treatments, prevention and early detection remain the most effective means of beating the disease. Regular and thorough monthly self-exams are still highly recommended, starting in early adulthood. Women should become familiar with the normal contours and irregularities of their own breast tissue. Doing so will help them recognize changes early. In addition, annual exams by a health care professional improve the chances of early diagnosis.

Regular mammograms are an excellent tool for detecting early breast cancer. Most authorities agree that annual mammograms for women over 50 save lives. There remains some disagreement over the value of routine mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 50, mostly because breast tissue is denser and can create shadows that reduce the accuracy of reading the mammogram.

Because some tumors cannot be seen well on mammography, ultrasound examinations may be done as a companion procedure. For women under the age of 40, mammography is recommended only on a case by case basis. Those at high risk might benefit from a mammogram between ages 35 and 40.

After age 75, each woman must weigh her own risk of breast cancer against her life expectancy. A woman in good health should consider continued annual mammograms.

Because there is no perfect test, each woman should discuss her individual circumstances with her physician to determine what is the best method of evaluation for her.

Recently, there has been some controversy related to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). There are conflicting studies on the effects of hormone replacement therapy, as well as birth control pills, on the development of breast cancer. To date there is no clear evidence of harm or benefit from appropriately used hormones. Drugs to block estrogen can reduce the risk of breast cancer but are not appropriate for all women.

Breast cancer is a complex issue. Every woman should discuss her risks with her physician and work out a plan for risk reduction and surveillance for breast cancer.

For more information go to http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/b/breastcancer.htm

To calculate breast cancer risk http://bcra.nci.nih.gov/brc/ (requires some medical knowledge)