Attitude is everything: Cancer patient tells story of survival
Staff reporter
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the second leading cause of cancer death, exceeded by lung cancer.
Breast cancer is three times more common than all gynecologic malignancies put together. The incidence of breast cancer has been steadily increasing from an incidence of one in 20 women in 1960 to one in seven today.
For every 100 women with breast cancer, one man will develop the disease.
Incidences of breast cancer is very low for people in their 20s and gradually increases with age. By age 45, incidences plateau and then dramatically increase after 50.
Risk factors include early onset of menses and late menopause, diets high in saturated fat, a family history of breast cancer, pregnancies at an older age or no pregnancies, more than two alcoholic beverages daily, estrogen replacement therapy, and obesity.
Early detection increases the chance of survival. Self-examinations and annual mammograms after age 40 are highly recommended.
Marsha recommended that women perform self-exams in various positions.
Being diagnosed with cancer is not an automatic death warrant. Modern technology and medical procedures have significantly contributed to surviving cancer.
"Don't be afraid to go to the doctor if you think something is wrong," Marsha advises. "The longer you wait the more options you eliminate."
