Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers across the globe.
It is ubiquitous, with almost all of us knowing someone who has been diagnosed.
This year in Australia, we can expect around 22 000 new cases to be recorded.
Each year it is around this figure and yes, it is on the rise.
In my memoir, ‘Show Us Your Tits – Baring all and Beating Breast Cancer’ I share my experiences and also touch on some common misconceptions about breast cancer.
I’d like to tackle some of those common misconceptions in this blog today.
Take my little breast cancer quiz and see what you already know. For those of you reading this blog – already diagnosed – for once you’ve got a sterling advantage! YAY!
10 BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT BREAST CANCER
1) BREAST CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON CANCER DIAGNOSED IN AUSTRALIA.
T or F
Actually, prostate cancer is more prevalent, by a couple of thousand cases.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian women.
2) BREAST CANCER MIGHT BE PREVALENT, BUT IT DOESN’T REALLY KILL PEOPLE ANYMORE.
T or F
Breast Cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in Australian women, after lung cancer. Approximately 9 women die EVERY DAY from breast cancer in our country. Although advances in both detection and treatments have improved survival rates, having around 3500 Australians die from breast cancer every year is something for all of us to be aware of.
3) IF I HAVE BREAST CANCER, IT WILL BE FOUND ON A SCREENING MAMMOGRAM.
T or F
Breast cancer will not necessarily be found on a mammogram. Many factors impact the ability of a mammogram to pick up a cancer, but mammograms are highly efficient and do detect 70-90% of all breast cancers. Mammograms can find a cancer as small as a grain of rice. They also miss cancers, mainly due to high breast density.
4) BREAST CANCER COULD PRESENT IN MANY WAYS – THERE ARE ABOUT 13 SYMPTOMS.
T or F
Yes! Breast cancer presents with a wide variety of symptoms. It can also go unnoticed, stealthily growing for a long time. So, it is important to keep up-to-date with mammograms and self-checks. There are some common symptoms of breast cancer in this image below. I’d also like to add NEW BREAST PAIN as a symptom. It is a common misconception, even amongst doctors, that if you have breast pain, it won’t be cancer.
This is simply untrue.
Of course, it could be a range of things, but yes, it could also be an indicator of cancer. It was for me.
5) HOW MANY DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF BREAST CANCER ARE THERE?
a) One
b) Five
c) Eleven
d) Fifteen
Breast cancer is not one disease. There are eleven different types of breast cancer, and they all behave differently. Some are aggressive and grow fast, others are a little more amicable, can actually sit dormant for some time and are easier to treat. Breast cancers can begin in different parts of the breast – mainly ducts and lobules. Some breast cancers are caused by genetic mutations, others are fed by estrogen, progesterone or HER2 proteins. The list goes on…
6) GENETIC FACTORS ARE RESPOSIBLE FOR MOST BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSES, SO IF I DON’T HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY, I DON’T NEED TO WORRY OR GET CHECKS.
FALSE!! Genetic links to breast cancer make up only 5-10% of cases.
Perhaps this is THE biggest misconception out there. Of course, if you have a family history it is a MASSIVE red flag and proactive measures for regular breast ultrasounds, mammograms and even MRIs need to be in place.
If you have no family history – this is NOT some sort of protection.
The main culprit involved in growing breast cancer is ESTROGEN and/or PROGESTERONE. These hormonal breast cancers make up a massive 75% of cases.
So, if you’ve got boobs + estrogen + progesterone, well that equals RISK baby!
In fact, the biggest risk factor for breast cancer is being female.
7) WHAT PERCENTAGE OF AUSTRALIAN BREAST CANCERS ARE FOUND IN WOMEN AGED 50+?
a) 60%
b) 75%
c) 80%
d) 90%
75% of all Australian breast cancers are found in women aged 50+.
But isn’t breast cancer an ‘old woman’s disease?
No! Breast cancer can occur in women of all ages.
The youngest breast cancer patient I am aware of was 19.
It is true to say that breast cancer is more prevalent the older we get, and Australia’s average age of developing breast cancer is 60.
But let’s go back to that bolded statistic above. If 75% are 50+, that leaves a whopping 25% that are 49 and under. In fact, of those 25% of cases under 50, about 20% are women in their 40s. THERE IS NO DECADE OF AGE - 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 that accounts for more than 24% of cases, so women 40-49 are almost up there in equality of numbers.
8) I SHOULD DO A SELF-BREAST CHECK:
a) Once a week
b) Once a month
c) Every 6 months
d) Once a year
Once a month is GOLD STAR! Breast changes can happen rapidly, so it is best to both FEEL and LOOK at your breasts every month. Know what is normal for you and see your GP if notice any sort of change.
9) I DON’T NEED TO GET A MAMMOGRAM UNTIL I GET INVITED AT 50.
If I had waited until I got my invitation in the mail, I would be dead, not have written a book, and not be writing this blog! I had no family history, no sign and no symptom. I went for my 4th routine mammogram at 46 and was knocked for six, when they told me I had breast cancer. Why was I going for screening?
Simply because I could.
At 40, I Googled what I should be doing about health checks, because at 40, shit starts happening to people. I wanted to be proactive and get as many checks done as possible. I had a proper skin check by a dermatologist, a colonoscopy, updated my pap smear, got blood works done by my GP AND my first mammogram. Google had told me I was eligible. I had to look that up and double-check, because at the time I thought I needed to be 50.
Our Australian female population is generally misinformed here because BreastScreen Australia do not promote or advertise this availability. The government only provides funding for women 50-74, yet women are eligible a whole decade earlier. So, if a woman 40-49 books in for a screening mammogram it COSTS BreastScreen money. Hence, the lack of advertising. Some state BreastScreen services even deter women 40-49 from attending via their website information.
10) I WILL BE ABLE TO FEEL A LUMP IF I GET BREAST CANCER
T or F
Not all breast cancers present as a lump and not all lumps can be felt. This is my actual screening mammogram image, with the offending cancer circled. My tumour was approximately 3x1x2cm in size. Most women think they are feeling for a spherical shape, but in fact most breast cancers grow faster in one particular direction, so they end up being more of a cylindrical shape. This sneaky tumour was set fairly close to the middle of my breast. Even after it had been detected and I was shown exactly where and how to press my breast to feel it, I couldn’t feel a damn thing! My breast surgeon could only just feel it herself.
Don’t rely on feeling a lump – it could be too late by then.
So, how did you score?
I hope you enjoyed the quiz and got some important, new information about breast cancer.
Perhaps it will inspire you to check your breasts monthly, or perhaps book in for that overdue mammogram you’ve been meaning to organise.
Go on – do both!
It is your responsibility – for yourself, for your family.
You could save your own life!
Jo x
BREASTSCREEN 13 20 50 or book online.
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