| About
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer kills more
Westchester women than any other type of cancer except respiratory related cancers.
Although rare, men can sometimes get breast cancer too. To
combat breast cancer, the Health Department conducts a Breast Health Program designed
to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages through regular self-examinations, mammography,
and
clinical breast examinations. Thousands of mammograms are provided
annually to
women through this program.
When breast
cancer is detected early and has not spread to other parts of the body,
there is a five-year survival rate that exceeds 95%. Therefore,
early detection for breast cancer is vitally important.
Lesbian women are
more likely to have risk factors for breast cancer.
See below for resources.
Why are lesbian
and bisexual women at greater risk for breast cancer?
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Being a lesbian
does not increase your risk for breast cancer, but having one or more of
the risk factors below might.
- Lesbians
are less likely to seek routine health care because of the discomfort
of coming out to health care providers and less access to health
insurance. With fewer doctor visits, lesbian and bisexual women are
less likely to have mammograms and professional breast exams. Studies
also show that lesbian and bisexual women are less likely to perform
breast self-exam regularly. For these reasons, lesbians and bisexual
women may be less likely to have cancers detected at earlier, more
treatable, stages.
- Lesbians
are less likely to give birth by age 30 if at all, which increases
risk.
- Some
studies indicate that lesbians may use alcohol
more and have higher body weight, both of which may increase a woman's
risk for breast cancer.
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What puts
women at risk for breast cancer?
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Keep in mind that
70% of women with breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors, other
than being female.
- Family
History
Women whose mothers,
grandmothers or sisters have had breast cancer are two to three times
more likely to develop breast cancer. However, 85% of women with
breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
- First
childbirth
The risks are higher
among women who have never had (and breastfed) a baby or whose first
childbirth occurred after the age of thirty.
- Menstrual
history
Early first period
(before age 11) and late menopause (after age 52) both increase risk.
- Diet
High-fat, low-fiber
diet increases risk. Risk also increases with higher weight.
- Age
Risk increases with
age. This disease is rare in women under the age of thirty. Women over
fifty make up 77% of breast cancer cases.
- Alcohol
Women who consume two
to five alcoholic drinks a day have a higher risk of breast cancer
than do non-drinkers.
- Genetic
Alterations
Specific alterations
in certain genes, such as those in the breast cancer genes (BRCA1 or
BRCA2), make women more susceptible to breast cancer.
- Hormone
Replacement Therapy
Recent evidence suggests that menopausal women who have long-term
exposure (greater than 10 years) to hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
may have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer .
- Socioeconomic
Factors
In the United States, white women from upper-socioeconomic classes
living in urban areas are more at risk for breast cancer than other
women, for reasons researchers do not yet understand.
- Environmental
Factors
Research has not yet
proven whether there are breast cancer risk risks involved in a number
of environmental exposures, including radiation, UV rays in sunlight,
artificial sweeteners, pesticides and electromagnetic fields that
surround electronic devices like microwave ovens and cell phones.
The Women's
Cancer Network www.wcn.org has a cancer
risk survey that you can take anonymously online. The survey covers
breast, cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. Be aware, though, that
the survey was designed for heterosexual women and defines "sexual
intercourse" and "sexual partners" as contacts with men.
How to reduce
your risk for breast cancer
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- Keep
your diet low in fat.
- Keep
your alcohol consumption light.
- Learn
how to do breast self-exam and do it every month
- Have
a health care provider examine your breasts every year and answer any
questions you have.
- If
you have no risk factors for breast cancer, get a baseline mammogram
when you're 40. Then every 1-2 years after that -- assuming everything
is fine -- until you are 50. After 50 get a mammogram every year.
What are the
benefits of different types of breast cancer screening?
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- Breast
Self Exam
- Account
for 90% of all lump detection
- Are
easy and completely risk-free
- Are
performed by the person most knowledgeable about your unique
breasts
- Will
pick up 40% of early cancers NOT seen on mammograms
- Are
free
- Mammograms
- Can
pick up some cancers years before they can be felt from the
outside
- Are
recommended for women over the age of 40
- Cannot
replace the need for monthly breast self-exams
- Will
pick up 40% of early cancers otherwise unsuspected
- Are
known to miss at least 7-20% of cancers
- Only
1 or 2 mammograms out of every 1,000 lead to a diagnosis of
cancer. Approximately 10% of women will require additional
mammography. Don't be alarmed if this happens to you. Only 8%-10%
of those women will need a biopsy, and 80% of those biopsies will
not be cancer.
- Health
care provider exams
- Are
easy and risk-free
- Are
performed by people with expertise in the assessment of breasts
(but are less familiar with your specific breasts than you are)
- Can
help you decide if you need to see a specialist or have a
mammogram
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Ten
things lesbian women should discuss with their health care
providers |
| Breast
Cancer |
Substance
Use |
| Depression/Anxiety |
Tobacco |
| Gynecological
Cancer |
Alcohol |
| Fitness
(Diet and Exercise) |
Domestic
Violence |
| Osteoporosis |
Heart
Health |
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