Breast Cancer is the
most common form of cancer affecting women. One out of
every twelve women who will live to age ninety will develop
breast cancer at some point during their lifetime.
Breast cancer is also one of the most dangerous kinds of
cancers among women, second only to lung cancer. Women
are many times more likely than men to develop breast cancer.
The cause of breast cancer is unknown, but there are several
factors which can increase the likelihood of developing breast
cancer, including alcohol consumption, smoking, heredity,
hormones, whether or not a women has children and the age at
which she has her first child.
The risk of breast cancer also increases with age. On
the other hand, breast cancer arising in younger women tends
to be more severe.
Beginning in their twenties, women are
encouraged to get a clinical breast exam and begin doing
self-examinations, and women over the age of thirty-five
should protect themselves by getting a mammogram.
According to the National Cancer Institute, once women reach
the age of forty, it is a good idea to get a mammogram once
every two years. After the age of fifty, it is
recommended to get a mammogram annually.
