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Breast Cancer
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.
Information is taken from the following two websites:
National Cancer Institute - 07.12.2006
Wikipedia - 07.12.2006
