U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics on protection of breast cancer

• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• In 2011, an estimated 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 57,650 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
• About 2,140 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in 2011. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
• From 1999 to 2005, breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. decreased by about 2% per year. The decrease was seen only in women aged 50 and older. One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk.
• About 39,520 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2011 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1990 — especially in women under 50. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
• For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Just under 30% of cancers in women are breast cancers.
• White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women. However, in women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women. Overall, African-American women are more llkely to die of breast cancer. Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer.
• In 2011, there were more than 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the US.
• A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
• About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations (abnormal changes) inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. Women with these mutations have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, and they are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age (before menopause). An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations.
• In men, about 1 in 10 breast cancers are believed to be due to BRCA2 mutations, and even fewer cases to BRCA1 mutations.
• About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.
• The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).
• As of Jan. 1, 2009, there were about 2,747,459 women alive in the United States with a history of breast cancer. This includes women being treated and women who are disease-free.

Understanding Breast Cancer

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, it's important to understand some basics: What is breast cancer and how does it happen?
In this section, you can learn about how breast cancer develops, how many people get breast cancer, and what factors can increase risk for getting breast cancer. You also can learn more about signs and symptoms to watch for and how to manage any fears you may have about breast cancer.
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. To better understand breast cancer, it helps to understand how any cancer can develop.
Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The genes are in each cell’s nucleus, which acts as the “control room” of each cell. Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. But over time, mutations can “turn on” certain genes and “turn off” others in a cell. That changed cell gains the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it and forming a tumor.
A tumor can be benign (not dangerous to health) or malignant (has the potential to be dangerous). Benign tumors are not considered cancerous: their cells are close to normal in appearance, they grow slowly, and they do not invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous. Left unchecked, malignant cells eventually can spread beyond the original tumor to other parts of the body.
The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast.
Over time, cancer cells can invade nearby healthy breast tissue and make their way into the underarm lymph nodes, small organs that filter out foreign substances in the body. If cancer cells get into the lymph nodes, they then have a pathway into other parts of the body. The breast cancer’s stage refers to how far the cancer cells have spread beyond the original tumor.
Breast cancer is always caused by a genetic abnormality (a “mistake” in the genetic material). However, only 5-10% of cancers are due to an abnormality inherited from your mother or father. About 90% of breast cancers are due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and the “wear and tear” of life in general.
There are steps every person can take to help the body stay as healthy as possible and lower risk of breast cancer or a breast cancer recurrence (such as maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and exercising regularly). Learn what you can do to manage breast cancer risk factors.
Always remember, breast cancer is never anyone's fault. Feeling guilty, or telling yourself that breast cancer happened because of something you or anyone else did, is not productive.

Breast Cancer and Your Job on breast cancer protection

The impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on work life can vary from person to person. For some people, the effect is minimal. You may have an understanding supervisor, a flexible schedule, and an encouraging team to support you through treatment. For others, there might be some questions about how to manage work and treatment: What do I tell my boss? Should I take time off from work for treatment? How will I pay the bills?
This section offers ways to manage the emotional, physical, and legal aspects of balancing your job and your treatment:

• Telling Your Boss and Co-workers about Your Breast Cancer Diagnosis
• Working During Treatment
• Taking Time Off Work for Treatment
• Self-employed and In Treatment
• Looking for a New Job
• Recognizing and Responding to Discrimination at Work   
  The first question you may want to ask yourself when thinking about talking to your boss or coworkers about your breast cancer diagnosis is “Should I tell?” You don’t have to tell anyone at work, unless it is apparent that your diagnosis or treatment will interfere with your ability to work or your work schedule. Keep in mind that if you decide not to discuss your health at work, some questions may be raised if your productivity level is affected, or if you miss a lot of time at work due to treatment appointments.
  You might decide to just tell some people — your supervisor, your closest colleagues, or someone with whom you share responsibilities. Or, you could decide to tell everything to everyone, depending on how comfortable you feel. So how do you tell them, and what do you tell them? Keep in mind that people may react differently; you may receive great amounts of support from some coworkers, while others might not be as comfortable with the conversation.
  Your comfort is the most important, so do what feels right for you. Here are some things you might want to try to make the discussion a little easier:
• Have the conversation in a comfortable, yet private area.
• Talk to your co-workers in smaller groups of one to three people, to make conversation easier.
• Assure your team of your commitment to your job. Explain that you will do everything in your power to do the best job you can. For example, you can ask someone to handle your duties when you’re not at work and you’ll follow up when you return.
• Don’t be afraid to ask your co-workers for help and understanding. Explain that you may need some flexibility in your schedule and support in some projects.
• Explain that you will keep everyone posted on your health as needed. Allow coworkers to ask some questions about your situation — most likely, they care and want to help. At the same time, if they seem to be asking too many questions, let them know that you appreciate their concern, but that you’d like to focus on work.
• Discuss a possible change in your appearance. You may experience hair loss, for example, if you’ll be having chemotherapy treatments.

Vascular or Lymphatic System Invasion on breast cancer protection

The breast has a network of blood vessels (called the vascular system) and lymph channels (lymphatic system) that carry blood and fluid back and forth from your breast tissue to the rest of the body. They are the "highways" that bring in nourishment and remove used blood and the waste products of cell life.
Vascular or lymphatic system invasion happens when breast cancer cells break into the blood vessels or lymph channels. This increases the risk of the cancer traveling outside the breast or coming back in the future. Doctors can recommend treatments to help reduce this risk.
Your pathology report will say “present” if there is evidence of vascular or lymphatic system invasion. If there is no invasion, your report will say “absent.” Lymphatic invasion is different from lymph node involvement. The lymph channels and lymph nodes are part of the same system, but they are looked at and reported separately.
Grade is a “score” that tells you how different the cancer cells’ appearance and growth patterns are from those of normal, healthy breast cells. Your pathology report will rate the cancer on a scale from 1 to 3:

• Grade 1 or low grade (sometimes also called well differentiated): Grade 1 cancer cells look a little bit different from normal cells, and they grow in slow, well-organized patterns. Not that many cells are dividing to make new cancer cells.
• Grade 2 or intermediate/moderate grade (moderately differentiated): Grade 2 cancer cells do not look like normal cells and are growing and dividing a little faster than normal.
• Grade 3 or high grade (poorly differentiated): Grade 3 cells look very different from normal cells. They grow quickly in disorganized, irregular patterns, with many dividing to make new cancer cells.

Having a low-grade cancer is an encouraging sign. But keep in mind that higher-grade cancers may be more vulnerable than low-grade cancers to treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which work by targeting fast-dividing cells.
Be careful not to confuse grade with stage, which is usually expressed as a number from 0 to 4 (often using Roman numerals I, II, III, IV). Stage is based on the size of the cancer and how far it has (or hasn’t) spread beyond its original location within the breast.
Your pathology report may include information about the rate of cell growth — what proportion of the cancer cells within the tumor are growing and dividing to form new cancer cells. A higher percentage suggests a faster-growing, more aggressive cancer, rather than a slower, “laid back” one. Tests that can measure the rate of growth include:

• S-phase fraction: This number tells you what percentage of cells in the sample are in the process of copying their genetic information, or DNA. This S-phase, short for “synthesis phase,” happens just before a cell divides into two new cells. A result of less than 6% is considered low, 6-10% intermediate, and more than 10% is considered high.
• Ki-67: Ki-67 is a protein in cells that increases as they prepare to divide into new cells. A staining process can measure the percentage of tumor cells that are positive for Ki-67. The more positive cells there are, the more quickly they are dividing and forming new cells. In breast cancer, a result of less than 10% is considered low, 10-20% borderline, and high if more than 20%.

Although the S-phase fraction and Ki-67 level may provide you and your doctor with useful information, experts don’t yet agree on how to use the results when making treatment decisions. Therefore, not all doctors order these tests routinely, so they may not appear in your pathology report. The other results in your report will be much more important in making informed choices. (If you decide to have an Oncotype DX test to check the likelihood of cancer coming back and whether you could benefit from chemotherapy, Ki-67 will be included in that panel of testing.)

Non-Invasive or Invasive Breast Cancer

                                                        
Breast cancer usually begins either in the cells of the lobules, which are milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. The pathology report will tell you whether or not the cancer has spread outside the milk ducts or lobules of the breast where it started.
Non-invasive cancers stay within the milk ducts or lobules in the breast. They do not grow into or invade normal tissues within or beyond the breast.
Non-invasive cancers are sometimes called carcinoma in situ (“in the same place”) or pre-cancers. Invasive cancers do grow into normal, healthy tissues. Most breast cancers are invasive. Whether the cancer is non-invasive or invasive will determine your treatment choices and how you might respond to the treatments you receive.

In some cases, a breast cancer may be both invasive and non-invasive. This means that part of the cancer has grown into normal tissue and part of the cancer has stayed inside the milk ducts or milk lobules. It would be treated as an invasive cancer.

A breast cancer also may be a “mixed tumor,” meaning that it contains a mixture of cancerous ductal cells and lobular cells. This type of cancer is also called “invasive mammary breast cancer” or “infiltrating mammary carcinoma.” It would be treated as a ductal carcinoma.
If there is more than one tumor in the breast, the breast cancer is described as either multifocal or multicentric. In multifocal breast cancer, all of the tumors arise from the original tumor, and they are usually in the same section of the breast. If the cancer is multicentric, it means that all of the tumors formed separately, and they are often in different areas of the breast.
In most cases, you can expect the breast cancer to be classified as one of the following.

• DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ): DCIS is a non-invasive cancer that stays inside the milk duct.
• LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ): LCIS is an overgrowth of cells that stay inside the lobule. It is not a true cancer; rather, it is a warning sign of an increased risk for developing an invasive cancer in the future in either breast.
• IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma): The most common type of breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma begins in the milk duct but has grown into the surrounding normal tissue inside the breast.
• Less Common Subtypes of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma can include tubular, medullary, mucinous, papillary, and cribriform carcinomas of the breast. In these cancers, the cells can look and behave somewhat differently than invasive ductal carcinoma cells usually do.
• ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma): ILC starts inside the lobule but grows into the surrounding normal tissue inside the breast.
• Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Inflammatory breast cancer is a fast-growing form of breast cancer that usually starts with the reddening and swelling of the breast, instead of a distinct lump.
• Male Breast Cancer: Breast cancer in men is rare, but when it occurs, it is almost always a ductal carcinoma.
• Paget’s Disease of the Nipple: Paget’s disease of the nipple is a rare form of breast cancer in which cancer cells collect in or around the nipple.
• Phyllodes Tumors of the Breast: Phyllodes tumors are rare breast tumors that begin in the connective tissue of the breast (stroma) and grow quickly in a leaflike pattern. Some are cancerous, but most are not.
• Recurrent and/or Metastatic Breast Cancer: Breast cancer that has returned after previous treatment or has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body.

Your Diagnosis on breast cancer protection

Just as no two people are exactly alike, no two breast cancers are exactly the same, either. Your doctor will order a series of tests on the cancer and nearby tissues to create a “profile” of how the breast cancer looks and behaves. Some of these tests are done after the initial biopsy (removal of tissue sample for testing), others in the days and weeks after lumpectomy or mastectomy. Each time testing is done, your doctor receives a report of results from the laboratory. All of these lab reports together make up your complete pathology report.
Your pathology report is so important because it provides information you and your doctor need to make the best treatment choices for your particular diagnosis. Those decisions depend on knowing characteristics such as:

• the size and appearance of the cancer
• how quickly it grows
• any signs of spread to nearby healthy tissues
• whether certain things inside the body — such as hormones or genetic mutations (abnormal changes in genes) — are factors in the cancer’s growth and development

In this section you can read more about what your pathology report is likely to include and what the information means. If you’ve already been diagnosed with breast cancer and you see a test here that doesn’t appear in your report, don’t worry — not all of these tests are routine. Ask your doctor if you’re concerned about any tests that weren’t performed on your tissue. The laboratory keeps your tissue samples for a long time after surgery, so testing can be done later in the process of diagnosis if necessary.
For more help understanding your diagnosis, you can also use My Breast Cancer Coach. My Breast Cancer Coach is a questionnaire designed to help you better understand your type of breast cancer so you can focus on the information that's most relevant to you.
Visit the links below to learn about the different parts of your pathology report:

• Getting Your Pathology Report
• Non-Invasive or Invasive Breast Cancer
• Cell Grade
• Rate of Cell Growth
• Tumor Necrosis
• Size of the Breast Cancer
• Surgical Margins
• Vascular or Lymphatic System Invasion
• Lymph Node Involvement
• Ploidy (Number of Chromosomes)
• Hormone Receptor Status
• HER2 Status
• Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
• EGFR Status
• Genomic Assays: Oncotype DX and MammaPrint
• BRCA1 and BRCA2 Testing
• Stages of Breast Cancer
• What Does Prognosis Mean?
• Your Diagnosis: Questions to Ask Your Doctor
• Tools for Tracking Results: Mobile App
• Tools for Tracking Results: Pathology Report Checklist

Standards for Safety and Effectiveness in Complementary Techniques helps on protection of breas tcancer

Although many complementary medicine techniques have been used for centuries, the availability of scientific data on many of these techniques has been limited. However, researchers supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine are conducting well-designed studies of some complementary techniques, including acupuncture and massage.
Some complementary techniques have professional associations with developed standards, but many do not. And some therapies have several associations with different standards. In the United States, some complementary therapies require that practitioners be state licensed or certified to practice.
These complementary therapies require licensed or certified practitioners:

• acupuncture
• chiropractic therapy
• massage (not all states require)
• Shiatsu (not all states require)

Other therapies that don't require licensing do offer practitioners the option of being certified with a certification board. It's usually best to look for a certified practitioner for these therapies:

• hypnosis
• massage (in states that don't require licenses)
• music therapy
• Shiatsu
• yoga

Some therapies can have risks or side effects for certain people.

If you have:	Avoid these complementary therapies:
Lymphedema	Acupuncture Some types of massage Shiatsu Yoga
Bleeding disorders or take blood thinners	Acupuncture Chiropractic therapy
Low white blood cell count/are receiving chemotherapy	Acupuncture Massage Shiatsu
Irritated skin/are receiving radiation	Massage Shiatsu
Weakened bones or osteoporosis	Chiropractic therapy Massage Shiatsu Yoga
Mental illness	Hypnosis Progressive muscle relaxation
Pregnancy	Aromatherapy

The bottom line is that there is no scientific evidence that any complementary therapy can cure cancer. Complementary therapies work best as part of your total treatment plan, combined with conventional medical treatments. Always talk to your doctor about any complementary therapy you would like to try. He or she can integrate it into your treatment plan and possibly recommend a practitioner.