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SAINT VINCENT
HEALTH SYSTEM
232 West 25 Street
Erie, PA 16544
April 15, 2001
Health Report:
Breast Cancer in African American Women with Saint
Vincent Obstetrician/ Gynecologist Andrea Jeffress, M.D.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among
African American women and the second leading cause of cancer
death. According to the American Cancer Society, during 2001,
about 19,300 new cases will be diagnosed in this group and 5800
will die from it.
more
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Health & Fitness
African American Breast Cancer Facts
From
Sisters
Network, Inc.
In 2001, an estimated 19,300
new cases of breast cancer are expected to occur among African
American women. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among
African American women. It ranks second among causes of cancer
deaths in African American women. Death rates among African
American women are approximately 28% higher than among white
women. Additionally, the African American woman's 5-year breast
cancer survival rate is 71%, compared with 86% for white women.
The following is a
partial list of African-American Breast Cancer Statistics:
 | Research strongly
suggests that breast cancer in African-American women is
biologically more aggressive than in white American women.1
|
| African-American women
were the only racial/ethnic group to experience an increase in
breast cancer incidence between 1990 and 1995.
2 |
| The incidence of
breast cancer among women under the age of forty-five is
higher for African-American women compared to white women.
3 |
| The number of breast
cancer deaths among African-American women is rising; among
Caucasian women the number is falling.4 |
Historically, African-Americans have availed
themselves to self-medicinal practices. Prior to the "modern age
of medicine", part of our culture and shared heritage included:
| remedies past down
from generation to generation |
| suffering in silence
|
| the unquestioned roles
of the sexes |
| taboos associated with
the body |
| fears of shame and
isolation |
| not wanting to know
|
| never to question an
authority figure |
| non-shared medical
history |
| primary provider for
family |
| unwilling or unable to
verbally communicate true feelings, fears, etc.
|
What are the risk factors?
| Gender
|
| Age
|
| Heredity/Genetic
Factors |
| Long menstrual history
|
| Never having children
|
| Hormones
|
| Personal history of
breast or ovarian cancer |
| Environmental factors
|
*Over 74% of breast cancers are diagnosed in
women with no identifiable risk factors.
What are the warning signs?
| Lump, hard knot or
thickening in the breast |
| Swelling, redness or
increased warmth in the breast |
| Change in the size or
shape of the breast |
| Itchy, sore or scaling
area on the nipple/areola |
| Nipple discharge
(particularly if bloody) that starts suddenly
|
| Pulling in of the
nipple |
| Dimpling or puckering
of the skin on the breast |
| Unusual pain in an
area of the breast |
What should you do?
The best defense against breast cancer starts
with you!
Sisters Network, Inc. recommends these steps for early
detection:
| Monthly breast
self-exam (BSE) starting at age 20* |
| Clinical breast
examination by a trained medical professional every 2-3 years
beginning at age 20, and annually after age 40
|
| Mammography screening
every one to two years for women ages 35-40 (If your mother or
sister has had breast cancer, you may need to get mammogram
earlier and more frequently) |
| Annual mammography
screening for women age 40+* |
| Breast ultrasound is
frequently useful in evaluating breast and mammographic
abnormalities, especially in young women |
*BSE should be done just as
your period ends or for post-menopausal women, the same day each
month. Most women discover breast masses during monthly breast
self-examination. This simple and easy to follow examination
allows a woman to become more familiar with her breast, making
the detection of subtle changes or abnormities easier.
**Women receiving annual
mammography screening are 30% less likely to die from breast
cancer compared to unscreened women.
What are the factors that place a woman at increased risk for
breast cancer?
Every woman has some risk for developing breast cancer during
her lifetime, and that risk increases as she ages. However, the
risk of developing breast cancer is not the same for all women.
These are the some factors known to increase a woman's chance of
developing this disease:
| Personal History:
Women who have had breast cancer are more likely to develop a
second breast cancer. |
| Family History: The
risk of getting breast cancer increases for a woman whose
mother, sister, or daughter has had the disease; or who has
two or more close relatives, such as cousins or aunts, with a
history of breast cancer (especially if diagnosed before age
40). About 5 percent of women with breast cancer have a
hereditary form of this disease. |
| Genetic Alterations:
Specific alterations in certain genes, such as those in the
breast cancer genes BRCA1 or BRCA2, make women more
susceptible to breast cancer. |
| Abnormal Biopsy: Women
with certain abnormal breast conditions, such as atypical
hyperplasia or LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ), are at
increased risk. |
| Other conditions
associated with an increased risk of breast cancer: Having
children at a later age or never having children at all, early
onset of menses, taking hormones over an extended period of
time, and exposure to environmental hazards.
|
What is the best method of detecting breast
cancer as early as possible?
A high-quality mammogram, with
a clinical breast exam, is the most effective way to detect
breast cancer early. Using a mammogram, it is possible to detect
breast cancer that cannot be felt. However, like any test,
mammograms have both benefits and limitations.
How much does a mammogram cost?
Most screening mammograms cost
between $50 and $150. Most states now have laws requiring health
insurance companies to reimburse all or part of the cost of
screening mammograms. Details can be provided by insurance
companies and health care providers.
Medicare pays 80% of the cost
of a screening mammogram each year for beneficiaries age 40 or
older. There is no deductible requirement for this benefit, but
Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for a 20% co-payment of
the Medicare-approved amount. Information on coverage is
available through the Medicare Hotline at 1-800-MEDICARE. Some
state and local health programs and employers provide mammograms
free or at low cost. Information on low-cost or free mammography
screening programs is available through the NCI's Cancer
Information at 1-800-4-CANCER.
References
1 Chen et al 1994
2 Wingo et al 1998
3 National Institute of Health
SEER
4 Marry Harris PhD, Medical
Writer CBS HealthWatch
 Sisters
Network, Inc. was founded in October 1993, by Karen Jackson
after her own diagnosis of breast cancer. Ms. Jackson
sought support and found "first, a lack of culturally sensitive
material and second, that the support available left a void. The
information and services offered to the African-American
community on breast cancer was minimal." Ms. Jackson Submerged
herself in medical journals, attended conferences, networked
with health professionals and shared one-on-one with other
breast cancer survivors. After which, Ms. Jackson's
self-buoyed spirits conceived the idea of a national
organization of African-American breast cancer survivors. Her
approach was to create an organization that would provide a warm
and nurturing environment for women to share experiences, bond,
rebuild and find comfort that they are not alone in their
journey back to wholeness.
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Hot
Topic:
Our national
slogan is
Stop the Silence!
It is our mission to increase local and national attention to
the devastating impact that breast cancer has in the
African-American community. |
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