Learn more about ‘What Are The Signs Of Breast Cancer Every Woman Over 50 Should Know?’ Cancer may strike anybody at any moment; no one is immune, although older women are more likely to develop it.
Breast cancer is the second most frequent kind of cancer in women after skin cancer, and the risk rises after age 50. Although breast cancer does affect younger women, according to the National Health Service, “Women who have gone through the menopause and are over 50 are most likely to have the condition. 8 out of 10 breast cancer cases in women over 50 are diagnosed in this age group.”
Age is a significant risk factor for breast cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and “According to studies, a number of factors combine to increase your risk of developing breast cancer. The two biggest risk-influencing factors are being a woman and getting older. Women 50 years of age or older are the ones most likely to develop breast cancer.”
According to American Cancer Society projections for 2022, “There will be 287,850 new instances of invasive breast cancer in women. There will be 51,400 new diagnoses of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). From breast cancer, 43,250 women will pass away.” Adds ACS: “In general, a woman’s lifetime chance of acquiring breast cancer in the United States is around 13%. According to this, she has a 1 in 8 probability of developing breast cancer. This also implies that she has a 7 out of 8 chance of never contracting the illness.” Consume This, Not That! Experts were consulted by Health to provide information on breast cancer symptoms and warning signs. As always, if you need medical advice, contact your doctor.
Why Breast Cancer Is So Common?
According to Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician, Carbon Health and Saint Mary’s Hospital, “This is complicated, the high rate is due to several reasons including access to mammogram screenings, limited resources within health literacy, and late diagnosis. However, it is extremely important to note, Black/African Americans are dying at a disproportionally high rate.
Redlands Community Hospital’s Director of the Breast Cancer Program, Dr. Melissa Torrey, claims: “Risk factors for breast cancer development include substance abuse (especially alcohol), smoking, late parity (having a baby after age 30), nulliparity (having no pregnancies), obesity (sedentary lifestyle), prolonged HRT use in postmenopausal women, lack of breastfeeding, and others. The incidence of breast cancer is rising as more women in this generation start careers and delay childbearing until they are older than 30.”
According to Dr. Michele Carpenter, director of the breast program at Providence St. Joseph Hospital’s Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment in Orange, California, “The only real explanation for its prevalence is that it is a disease associated with aging and the female gender. This is a disease that may become more prevalent as women live longer than men do. That does not imply that additional environmental factors are at work.”
Many Breast Cancer Cases Are Diagnosed After 50
According to Dr. Torrey, “Breast cancer is most common in females over the age of 50 years; experts believe that one in eight women who live to age 80 will get the disease. About 77 percent of women are over 50 at the time they are diagnosed with breast cancer; less than 1 percent are diagnosed in their 20s. As people age, abnormal changes in their cells are more likely to occur.
Incidence rates for cancer rise steadily with age, from fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 in the under-20 age group to about 350 per 100,000 in the 45- to 49-year-old age group to more than 1,000 per 100,000 in the 60+ age group.
What To Know About Menopause And Breast Cancer
Since most POSTmenopausal breast cancers are hormone sensitive (driven by estrogen) and ER/PR positive, Dr. Torrey explains that having more fat tissue after menopause can raise estrogen levels and increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, people who have gone through natural menopause are more likely to develop cancer around as twice as high because of hormonal factors. However, menopause does not cause cancer; rather, the risk of developing cancer increases as a person ages. A longer exposure to the hormone estrogen increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
The Susan G. Komen foundation claims that “Compared to women who experience menopause earlier in life, those who do so later in life have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Age at menopause and risk of breast cancer were examined in a pooled analysis of information from 117 studies. Breast cancer risk increased by about 3% for each year a woman was older when she began the menopause.”
Treatment Options Change With Age
The biology and behavior of breast cancer have an impact on the treatment strategy, according to Dr. Torrey. While some tumors are larger and grow more slowly, others are smaller and spread more quickly. Treatment recommendations and options are highly individualized and based on a number of variables, including:
- The tumor’s subtype, including hormone receptor status (ER, PR), HER2 status, and nodal status
- The stage of the tumor
- Genomic tests, such as the multigene panels Oncotype DX™ or MammaPrint™, if appropriate
- The patient’s age, general health, menopausal status, and preferences
- The presence of known mutations in inherited breast cancer genes, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, based on results of genetic tests
There are certain common procedures for treating early-stage and locally advanced breast cancer, even though the breast cancer care team will uniquely design the treatment for each patient and tumor (referred to as “personalized medicine”).
A POSTmenopausal cancer that is “hormone sensitive” (ER/PR positive) is considerably more typical, and we frequently treat these cancers with hormone ablative therapy. Breast cancers that are hormone-positive are thought to have slow-growing tumors, which can indicate a favorable prognosis and call for less aggressive systemic therapies.
Breast Cancer Signs
According to Dr. Curry-Winchell, “Many people think they’ll experience breast cancer-related symptoms. It’s crucial to emphasize that breast cancer is not always accompanied by symptoms. Getting screened is always recommended.”
Different people experience breast cancer symptoms in different ways, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some people completely lack any symptoms or warning signs. Breast cancer warning signs include—
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
- Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
- Pain in any area of the breast.
Remember that illnesses other than cancer might cause similar symptoms as well.”
According to the American Cancer Society, “Your breast health much depends on your awareness of how your breasts typically feel and appear. Mammograms do not always detect breast cancer, despite the importance of routine screening tests for the disease. This implies that it’s crucial for you to be aware of how your breasts typically feel and look so that you can notice any changes.
The most typical sign of breast cancer is a new mass or lump. Although breast cancers can also be soft, round, tender, or even painful, they are more likely to be cancer if they are a painless, hard mass with irregular edges.
Other possible symptoms of breast cancer include:
–Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no lump is felt)
–Skin dimpling (sometimes looking like an orange peel)
–Breast or nipple pain
–Nipple retraction (turning inward)
–Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking, or thickened
–Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)
–Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collarbone (Sometimes this can be a sign of breast cancer spreading even before the original tumor in the breast is large enough to be felt.)”
Survival Rate
As per Dr. Torrey, “The average 10-year survival rate for women with breast cancer is 84%, according to the ACS. Additionally, 80% of women with breast cancer survive for at least 15 years after receiving their diagnosis.”
The doctor explains, “Because older women’s breast cancers typically behave better, they typically have a 5-year survival rate of greater than 95%-98%. Once more, we continue to see some cancers in older women that are unusual, and we must balance the risks of treatment against a normal life expectancy and any associated illnesses of advanced age that might already be present.”
According to Dr. Curry-Winchell, “When you are told you have breast cancer, your doctor will predict the likely course and outcome of your condition. Survival rates vary. As I previously stated, this varies from person to person, and there are a number of elements, such as the grade and size of the cancer, that affect prognosis.”
There’s Several Breast Cancer Myths
Dr. Torrey lists the top ten breast cancer myths to be aware of.
MYTH: I won’t develop breast cancer if my family has no history of the disease. FACT: The majority of breast cancer patients have no known family history.
MYTH: Breast cancer is not a concern if you keep a healthy weight, exercise frequently, eat well, and drink in moderation. FACT: Although these behaviors undoubtedly reduce the risk of breast cancer, they do not offer 100% protection. Family genetics, environmental factors, nulliparity, parity after age 30, and other factors can all affect and raise a person’s risk for developing breast cancer in the future, even if they otherwise lead very healthy lifestyles.
MYTH: Breast cancer is brought on by antiperspirants, bras, hair dyes, dairy products, and cell phone use. FACT: There is no solid scientific evidence indicating that a woman’s breast size, bra size, or bra type increases her risk of breast cancer. Antiperspirants, hair dyes, keeping a diary, and cell phone use are all still being researched, but none of them have been definitively linked to the development of breast cancer.
MYTH: Antiperspirant use under the arms has been linked to breast cancer. FACT: Although there is no proof of a link between underarm deodorant and breast cancer, antiperspirant safety is still being researched.
