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BREAST CANCER 101

As an Avon Walk participant, one of the most powerful differences you can make is to educate yourself, your family and your friends about breast cancer. You’ll find important information about screenings right here, along with meaningful facts for your potential donors. Get the latest news about the current state of breast cancer and the need for funding and awareness, as well as an overview of exciting — and critical — areas where Avon Foundation beneficiaries are already putting donations to use, including efforts right in your area.

REMEMBER, EARLY DETECTION HELPS SAVE LIVES

  • Be sure you and your loved ones follow the recommended guidelines from the American Cancer Society for early detection of breast cancer. If there is a history of breast cancer in your family consult your doctor on the need to begin these steps at an earlier age.
  • Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care providers.
  • Yearly mammograms with a clinical breast exam are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as woman is in good health.
  • Clinical breast exam (CBE) should be part of a periodic health exam, about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s.
  • Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s.
  • Women at high risk (greater than 20% lifetime risk) should get an MRI and a mammogram every year.
  • Yearly MRI screening is not recommended for women of average risk of breast cancer.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT BREAST CANCER IN THE U.S.

  • A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.
  • Every 3 minutes, there is a new diagnosis of invasive breast cancer.
  • Approximately 230,480 women and 2,140 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
  • Every 13 minutes, a life is lost to breast cancer.
  • 39,520 women and 450 men in the U.S. will die from the disease annually.
  • The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 2.6 million U.S. women with a history of breast cancer are living today, more than half of whom were diagnosed less than 10 years earlier. Most of these individuals were cancer-free, while others still had evidence of cancer and may still be undergoing treatment.
  • There are more than 250,000 women under the age of 40 in the U.S living with breast cancer, and over 11,000 will be diagnosed this year.
  • White, non-Hispanic women are more likely to develop breast cancer but African-American women are more likely to die from it.
  • Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Hispanic women.

MEN GET BREAST CANCER, TOO

  • Survival for men with breast cancer is similar to survival for women, when their stage of diagnosis is the same.
  • Men at any age may develop breast cancer, but it is usually found in men between 60 and 70 years of age.
  • Male breast cancer makes up less than 1% of all cases of breast cancer.
  • Male breast cancer is sometimes caused by inherited gene mutations, and a family history of breast cancer can increase a man’s risk.

HELP, SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE

These national organizations, funded by the Avon Foundation, offer lifesaving information and direct services. For more information and to find resources in your community, please find the most recent Breast Health Resource Guide.

AvonCares Program at CancerCare provides a wide range of support services nationwide, including patient navigation, financial assistance and emotional support. http://www.cancercare.org/ or 1-800-813-HOPE(4673)

American Cancer Society has regional offices where reliable information, support groups and other resources can be found. http://www.cancer.org/ or 1-800-ACS-2345

Cancer and Careers is for working women who are balancing work demands with their cancer diagnosis and treatment. http://www.cancerandcareers.org/ or email cancerandcareers@cew.org. The Avon Foundation is a founding sponsor of this program.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer provides education and support to empower all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life. http://www.lbbc.org/ or 610-645-4567.

Look Good, Feel Better program offers free seminars to help overcome the appearance-related effects of cancer and cancer treatment. http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org/ or 1-800-395-LOOK

National Cancer Institute is a reliable resource for up-to-date information on all cancers. They also have an online mechanism called "Live Help," through which an individual can be connected in real time with a cancer specialist. http://www.cancer.gov/ or 1-800-4CANCER

National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund/Project LEAD is a breast cancer advocacy organization that specializes in providing medical education to the public and training breast cancer advocates on legislative and medical developments. http://www.stopbreastcancer.org/ or 202-296-7447

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization offers community education and support. Is the only place in the world where someone touched by breast cancer can call – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – to talk to a breast cancer survivor and be understood in 150 different languages. For more than 30 years, Y-ME has been working to assure that no one faces breast cancer alone. http://www.y-me.org or 1-800-221-2141 (English) or 1-800-986-9505 (Spanish)

Young Survival Coalition addresses the unique issues and needs for women diagnosed under the age of 40. http://www.youngsurvival.org/ or 1-800-YSC-1011