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Every 2 Minutes, A Woman Is Diagnosed With Breast Cancer In The US

National No Bra Day on October 13th encourages wearers to leave that bra at home.

The day promotes breast cancer awareness. It also helps raise money for research. Many women who have survived breast cancer are unable to go without a bra as they need it to hold their prosthesis after surgery. Additionally, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and No Bra Day should serve as a reminder for all women to be screened for breast cancer. Most types of breast cancer can be treated if caught early.

  • Beyond the pink ribbons, special product fundraisers, and the pastel sea of color that marks October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month offers a reason to celebrate and to reflect.
  • The first line of defense is a monthly self-breast exam. The best time to do a breast exam is about ten days after the onset of your menstrual cycle. However, fickle as breasts can be, we do become familiar with them even if they are lumpy. We learn what’s healthy or not. For example, they change texture over the month. Sticking to the same time each month will provide a more accurate exam.  For those who don’t menstruate, choose a day of the month always to perform the exam.
  • 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lives and have to battle a disease that can, at worst, be lethal.
  • So why is it that women everywhere choose not to wear a bra to raise awareness of this horrible disease? Women who have been through a battle with breast cancer often have to wear a prosthesis to hide the fact that they’ve had a breast or breasts removed, and are unable to go without a bra as a result. By spending the day without a bra you can raise awareness and help to prevent other women from having to go through this experience.
  • The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are being female and aging. About 95% of all breast cancers in the US occur in women 40 and older
  • Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the US and the first leading cause of cancer death among women globally.
  • Every 2 minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the US.
  • Every minute, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from breast cancer. That’s more than 1,400 women every day
  • Each year, it’s expected that about 2,670 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the US, and about 500 will die
  • This year, an estimated 41,760 women will die from breast cancer in the U.S.
  • In 2019, an estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. as well as 62,930 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
  • 62% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, for which the 5-year survival rate is 99%.
  • Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers.
  • There are over 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
  • Female breast cancer represents 15.2% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.
  • Women who have close blood relatives with breast cancer have a higher risk. Having a first-degree relative (mother, sister or daughter) with breast cancer almost doubles a woman’s risk.
  • Most women (about eight out of 10) who get breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease
  • About 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers can be traced to specific, inherited gene mutations, such as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.
  • Women of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage are at higher risk of having BRCA mutation. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends testing for BRCA mutations for Ashkenazi Jewish women if they have a first-degree relative with breast or ovarian cancer or two second-degree relatives on the same side of the family with breast or ovarian cancer.
  • 2017 JAMA study found that in the U.S., younger women with breast cancer are increasingly opting to undergo double mastectomies, even if they were diagnosed with early-stage cancer in only one breast.
  • Exercise is also beneficial to breast cancer survivors. A recent study in Cancer found only a third of survivors meet recommended activity levels.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

Do Something

National Breast Cancer

City of Hope