This week's topic is Myths and Facts About the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer, with content courtesy of the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations.

• Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the United States. Both its cause and the means for its cure remain undiscovered. About two million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today.

• In 1998, 178,700 new cases of female breast cancer will be diagnosed, and 43,500 women will die from the disease. About 37,000 cases of female in situ (preinvasive) breast cancer will be diagnosed in 1998. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for all women, and the leading cause of cancer death in all women between the ages of 40 and 55.

• Men develop breast cancer, too, although its incidence is low. In 1998, 1,600 male cases are projected to be diagnosed, and 400 men will die from the disease.

• One out of nine women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime -- a risk that was one out of 14 in 1960. This year, a breast cancer will be newly diagnosed every three minutes, and a woman will die from breast cancer every 12 minutes.

• Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. The risk of developing breast cancer increases as a woman ages, if she has a family history of breast cancer, has never had children or had her first child after age 30, and if she has had prior radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease. However, over 70 percent of cases occur in women who have no identifiable risk factors.

• Breast cancer cannot be prevented, but it can be detected at an early, treatable stage. Fewer than half of women age 40 and older in the United States have regular screening mammograms, a simple procedure that can reveal breast cancer at its earliest stage, up to two years before it can be felt. In NABCO's view, regular screening mammography should begin at age 40.

• Regular breast examinations by a medical professional are a required complement to screening mammography. Many breast irregularities are found by women themselves, yet women often do not know how to perform breast self-examination (BSE), and few do so regularly. Although BSE has never been proven to affect survival, becoming familiar with your breasts and what feels normal for you is a recommended component of any woman's breast health program.

• Over 80 percent of biopsed breast abnormalities are proven benign, but any breast lump must be evaluated by a physician. With new, less invasive biopsy procedures, this examination can sometimes take place in the physician's office.

• If detected early, breast cancer can often be treated effectively with surgery that preserves the breast, followed by radiation therapy. This local therapy is sometimes accompanied by systemic chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. Five-year survival after treatment for early-stage breast cancer is over 97 percent.

• Breast cancer incidence increases with age, rising sharply after age 40. Nearly eighty percent of all breast cancers occur in women over 50 years of age.

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