 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Death rates from breast cancer may be dropping, but its not good news for everyone.
A new report from the American Cancer Society reveals deaths from breast cancer continue to go down more than two percent per year -- a trend that began in 1990. However, it shows African American women and women of other minority racial and ethnic groups have not benefited as much as white women from the advances in early detection and treatment, which have led to the decline in deaths. Also, a recent drop in the diagnosis of new cancers is partially due to fewer women getting mammograms.
Text Continues Below
While many women live in fear of breast cancer, this report shows a woman today has a lower chance of dying from breast cancer than shes had in decades, Harmon J. Eyre, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, was quoted as saying. Unfortunately, not all women are benefiting at the same level. Perhaps most troubling is the striking divergence in long-term mortality trends seen between African American and white females that began in the early 1980s and that, by 2004, had led to death rates being 36-percent higher in African American women.
The report also details the major risk factors associated with breast cancer women can control:
-Obesity and weight gain during adulthood increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer but not pre-menopausal.
-Studies show two alcoholic drinks a day may increase the risk by 21 percent.
-Physical activity may have a small protective effect -- most studies suggest women who exercise vigorously for 45 minutes to 60 minutes, five or more days per week can reduce their risk of breast cancer. One study suggests any level of regular exercise can reduce the risk in postmenopausal women.
-Most research finds no link between actively smoking, but the link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer remains controversial.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2007-2008, published online Sept. 25, 2007
|
.gif)
