 It seems that every day we hear about someone—a celebrity, neighbor, co-worker, friend or relative being diagnosed with breast cancer. Even so, we must keep in mind that for every woman diagnosed with breast cancer, there are many more that survive it, and thrive.
Today, more women are surviving breast cancer than ever before. And when the cancer is confined to the breast and it is detected early on, the five-year survival rate is 96 percent, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
“It’s clear that early detection can make a difference in surviving breast cancer,” says Laura Stampleman, MD, oncologist with the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. “Women can take charge of their health by performing regular breast self-exams, working with their physician to schedule clinical breast exams and mammograms, and understanding their degree of risk and strategies for reducing risk. Just in the past few years, we’ve made tremendous strides. We approach diagnosis and treatment from a number of angles here at the Cancer Center, giving women more choices.”
“The increasing survival rate is due in large part to the more active role women are playing in their health and advances in early detection technology such as more sensitive mammography, the R2 ImageChecker and ultrasound,” says James A. Kowalski, MD, radiologist and Medical Director of Salinas Valley Imaging Center. “Mammography continues to be the most cost-effective, reliable means of detecting abnormalities in the breast, often before they can be felt. When a suspicious area is found, we can get an even closer look using ultrasound technology.”
Risk factors for
breast cancer include:
A personal history of breast cancer
A family history of breast cancer
Increased breast density on mammogram
A history of previous breast biopsies
A history of certain types of benign breast disease
Radiation therapy to the chest or upper body to treat Hodgkin’s Disease, thyroid conditions or cancer
Aging—risk increases after age 40 and the average age at diagnosis is 62
A long menstrual history
Obesity after menopause
Use of oral contraceptives for greater than 10 years
Post menopausal use of estrogen and progestin
Having first child after age 30 or never having children |
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“When you get that call to come back for more tests, it’s scary and comforting at the same time,” says Lori Schonert, breast cancer survivor who works in the Medical Staff Office at Salinas Valley Memorial. “No woman wants to hear that she has breast cancer, but any woman who does wants to know that it was found in time to take care of it. The fact that I could stay close to home and keep working while receiving my treatments, made a big difference to me, and my family.”
One of the reasons that prevention and early detection are primary messages of the Cancer Center is that breast cancer continues to be the most common non-skin-related cancer in women in the United States. The 2004 ACS Cancer Facts and Figures report estimated that 216,000 women would be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes under the arm or other parts of the body) and another 59,390 with in situ (non invasive) breast cancer during the year.
“Our Cancer Center gives women throughout the region access to an experienced team of medical and surgical oncologists and the latest technology for early detection and treatment,” says Patrick Flanigan, MD, Medical Director of Salinas Valley Memorial’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Our affiliation with Stanford University Medical Center’s Clinical Cancer Program gives women with breast cancer and their families greater access to additional resources, including clinical trials, while receiving care right here in the local community.” |
More survivors with early detection
and advanced treatment