5 things to know about breast cancer, from an oncologist

Roughly 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer. It is the most common cancer in women worldwide and in the U.S., excluding non-melanoma skin cancers.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a helpful reminder that early detection and reliable information are essential parts of proactive breast health.

In this Q&A, Ted James, MD, MHCM, FACS, a surgical oncologist and System Physician Executive at Endeavor Health Cancer Institute, shares five key things to know about breast cancer:

1. Get screened. Mammograms save lives. Mammograms can find breast cancer before it causes symptoms, when it is often more curable and may require less extensive treatment. Don’t put off recommended breast cancer screening. Schedule a mammogram today.
2. Know your risk, even if breast cancer doesn’t run in your family. Most women who develop breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease. Age, breast density, prior breast findings, and other personal factors can affect risk, so understanding individual risk is important.
3. Pay attention to breast density. Dense breast tissue can increase breast cancer risk and make cancers more difficult to see on a mammogram. Mammogram reports now tell patients whether their breasts are dense, which can help start a conversation about whether additional risk assessment or imaging should be considered.
4. A normal mammogram does not mean a new breast change should be ignored. A new lump, nipple change, skin change, or other persistent difference in the breast should be evaluated even if a recent mammogram was normal. Screening and evaluation of a new symptom serve different purposes.
5. Breast cancer is no longer treated as a single disease. Modern breast cancer care is increasingly guided by the biology of the individual cancer, including hormone receptors, HER2 status, and in some cases genomic or molecular findings. These differences can determine which treatments are most likely to work and are a major reason that outcomes for breast cancer continue to improve.

And here are some key facts about breast cancer:

• Frequency: It accounts for about 30% (or roughly 1 in 3) of all newly diagnosed cancers in women each year.
• Lifetime risk: About 1 in 8 women (13%) in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.
• Global impact: It is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the majority of countries worldwide.
• Survival and outcomes: While very common, it is still the second leading cause of cancer death in women overall (behind lung cancer), though survival rates continue to improve significantly due to early detection and better treatments.