Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. There are some risk factors we have no control over – being female, aging and family history – but we can control our actions and follow the recommended breast health screening guidelines.

The American Cancer Society updated the guidelines 2007 to recommend breast MRI in addition to mammography for women in the moderate-and high-risk categories for developing breast cancer. 

RISK FACTORS

• Are you over age 40?
• Have you had breast cancer?
• Has anyone in your family had breast cancer (especially mother, sister, or daughter)?
• Have you had radiation to the chest as treatment for another cancer?
• Did you have your first child after age 30 (or have no children)?
• Did you begin menstruating before age 12, or go through menopause after age 50?
• Have you been on hormone replacement therapy for more than 5 years?
• Do you average more than1 alcoholic drink per day?
• Are you physically inactive?
• If you are past menopause, have you gained weight, especially around your waist?

PREVENTIVE BEHAVIORS

• Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy for your specific situation
• Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on 5 or more days a week.

For more information on exercise, read At a Glance - Nutrition and Physical Activities.

• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• Decrease your alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink per day

Women at high risk:

• Talk with your doctor about taking tamoxifen or ask about enrolling in a chemoprevention study.

For more information, read Tamoxifen and Raloxifene Questions and Answers.

For more information on preventive behaviors, read Can Breast Cancer Be Prevented?

MAMMOGRAPHY REMINDER

Click here to send yourself a reminder to schedule your mammogram.

EARLY DETECTION

• Monthly breast self-exam starting in your 20s. Women should know how their breasts normally feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. 
• A clinical breast exam should be part of a periodic health exam; about every three years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and older.
• Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.

Women at high risk (greater than 20 percent lifetime risk) should get a mammogram and an MRI every year. Women at high risk include those who:

• Have a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
• Have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, and have not had genetic testing themselves
• Have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 20 to 25 percent or greater, according to risk-assessment tools that are based mainly on family history*
• Had radiation therapy to the chest when they were between the ages of 10 and 30
• Have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or have first-degree relatives with one of these syndromes

Women at moderately increased risk (15-20 percent lifetime risk) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of adding MRI screening to their yearly mammogram. Women at moderately increased risk include those who:

• Have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 15 to 20 percent, according to risk-assessment tools that are based mainly on family history*
• Have a personal history of breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) or atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH)
• Have extremely dense breasts or unevenly dense breasts when viewed by mammograms

CANCER TREATMENT OPTIONS

The Evergreen Breast Center is ready to handle your breast health care needs, from digital mammography to state-of-the-art breast MR imaging, biopsy and diagnostic tests. If needed, the Evergreen Breast Center can provide immediate access to surgical, radiation and medical oncology options. To schedule a mammogram, please call 425.899.1849.

Evergreen’s Cancer Program offers a range of treatment options for prostate cancer. Depending on staging, those treatments include surgery or radiation with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).  

The NexProfiler™ is an interactive tool that provides evidence-based, peer-reviewed medical literature to help cancer patients and their physicians make more informed treatment decisions. It is brought to you by Evergreen Healthcare and NexCura Inc. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Cancer Care at Evergreen  
American Cancer Society  

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