Breast cancer is currently the most common form of cancer in the UK - in fact 1 in 4 of all cancers in women occur in the breast.
A recent study from Breast Cancer Care indicated that many women aged 50-65 were unaware that 80% of these occur in post-menopausal women.
This disease can also occur in men although it is much more rare. Around 250 men are diagnosed with the disease each year approximately 1% of all cases.
Much of the information in this topic can relate to both men and women but you will find that due to the nature of breast cancer, the majority is directed towards women only.
Breast Cancer in Women in the UK - Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK
- More than 1 in 4 of all cancers in women occur in the breast
- The lifetime risk is 1 in 9
- Almost 40,000 women are diagnosed each year
- 80% of breast cancers occur in post-menopausal women
- Approximately 8,000 pre-menopausal women are diagnosed each year
- Only 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary/family history
- 9 out of 10 breast lumps are not a sign of breast cancer
- There has been an 18% increase in the incidence rates for breast cancer in Great Britain over the last 10 years
- There are an estimated 172,500 woman alive in the UK who have been diagnosed with breast cancer
Earlier diagnosis and better treatment have led to a 22% fall in breast cancer mortality rates in the last 10 years. However, in the UK breast cancer remains the second biggest cause of death from cancer in women and has one of the highest mortality rates in the world. In 2000 12,800 women died from breast cancer while 13,000 died from lung cancer Breast Cancer in Men in the UK - 1% of those diagnosed with breast cancer are men
- 300 men are diagnosed each year
- The majority of men who get breast cancer are over 60 years old
Statistics from Breast Cancer Forum 2002 |
To find out more about cancer in general, click here.
What is the breast?
The breast is a tissue with the clear function in women of producing milk for the nourishment of babies. However, this is not the only function for the breast in adult women in reality its role is far more complex.
For many, regardless of age, the breast remains a crucial outward sign of womanhood intimately associated with sexuality. The physical presence of breasts for a woman and what they represent can be closely linked to issues of self-confidence and body image.
For these reasons, the emotional and psychological impact of breast cancer cannot be overestimated.
The breast itself is made up of two specific types of cells:
The milk-producing glands called lobes composed of many smaller sections called lobules.
The tubes that link the lobes together and transport the milk to the nipple during breast feeding, called ducts.
These two cell types together constitute the glandular tissue of the breast. The rest of the breast is made up of more general stromal tissue that includes fat and connective tissue.
The term 'breast cancer' actually refers to a family of cancers that can develop in various parts of the breast. The most common types start in the glandular tissue more frequently in the ducts.
Written by Dr. Anna Tilley
02/06/2009
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