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<B>Women can do little things to decrease risk of breast cancer</B><P>
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<FONT SIZE=4><B>By Jennifer Smith</B><BR></FONT>Staff Writer
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Nearly 44,000 women will perish this year.<P>
According to the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, more than 180,000 women will get breast cancer in 1997 and approximately four percent will die from it.Breast cancer is one of the leading killers of women today. Nobody knows what causes it, how to prevent it or how to cure it. These frightening facts are staring boldly in the faces of many women, young and old.
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Although the outlook for women is so dismal, there are a few small things that young women can do to help protect themselves.
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NABCO thinks women can beat the odds by being aware of the disease, as well as by finding it and treating it early.
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Just because a woman may develop a lump, however, does not mean it is cancerous. More than 80 percent of lumps detected in breasts are benign and fairly common.
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Tom Tucker, associate director of the Kentucky Cancer Registry agrees.
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He suggests women get a "complete physical exam, talk about it with doctors and learn and practice the breast self-exam."
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Although younger women face no immediate risk, the risk of breast cancer increases with age.
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Some women, though, seem to be at a much greater risk for developing breast cancer. Knowing they are at a greater risk or not could help in early detection later on in life, although more than 70 percent of those diagnosed with the disease have no obvious risk factors.
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According to the Breast Cancer Network, a division of the American Cancer Society, the overall survival rate 10 years after the detection of breast cancer is 65 percent and after 15 years the rate drops to only 56 percent.
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If another family member, such as a mother or sister, has had breast cancer, a woman is considered to be high risk.
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Female students taking oral contraceptives may have a higher risk of breast cancer, according to NABCO. A link also exists between alcohol and the incidence of breast cancer in women. Women who have at least one drink a day have an increased risk.
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Further studies in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" have shown a correlation between abortion and breast cancer. The study showed that women who have been pregnant at least once and had an abortion had a 50 percent higher risk.
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There are some little things that can be done to decrease risk of breast cancer as well as improve overall health.
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The ACS supports the use of vitamin A for possible prevention. Strenuous exercise during youth appears to protect as well. Those who exercise at least four hours a week could be up to 40 percent more protected than those who do not.
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Education seems to be the most important part of breast cancer prevention. There are several myths about the risk of breast cancer development, according to NABCO.
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The myth that only women can get breast cancer is false. This year alone, nearly 300 men will die from the disease.
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