Good Health Blog

Please review the Blog Terms of Use at the bottom of this page.

Monthly Archives: October 2012

Breast statistics. Too common to ignore.

Gavin LeSueur - October 10, 2012

October is breast cancer awareness month in the USA

Every month should be though.

In America there will be about 232,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer this year. In Australia the figure is around 15,000.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), accounting for 28.2 per cent of all new cancers in women. The average age of breast cancer diagnosis is 60 years. The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age. About 24 per cent of new breast cancer cases diagnosed are in women younger than 50 years; 51 per cent in women aged 50–69 years; and 25 per cent in women aged 70 years and over.
The risk of developing breast cancer before the age of 85 was 1 in 8.2. The incidence of breast cancer in Australia is increasing.

So much depends on early diagnosis. It is currently recommended to start breast cancer mammography screening from the age of 50 years.

The decision to start regular screening mammography and breast self examination before the age of 50 years should be an individual one and take your family history, general health and personal values into account. You should be educated by a health practitioner regarding specific benefits and harms of early screening.

Know your breasts, know your risks, be proactive about prevention.

Blog Terms of Use

Authority
Our blog is moderated occasionally and posteriorly. Moderators are volunteers. Internet users posting comments on this blog should not be considered as health professionals.

Complementarity
Comments posted on this Blog should be designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician.

Confidentiality
We remind you that everyone can read and use your comments. You do not have the possibility to erase your own comments.

Comments
Internets users commenting on my blog must behave with respect and honesty at all times. Internet users may not post any commercial/advertising comment. Internet users commenting on my blog must post information which are true and correct to their knowledge. Sources to health/medical claims must be provided when relevant. Moderators Reserve the right to erase, without notification, any comment they would judge inappropriate.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.