Fast Facts About Breast Cancer in Australia

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in Australian women, accounting for more than 13,698 new cases of breast cancer and 2,800 deaths each year. Early detection is the best method for reducing deaths from breast cancer.

Women whose cancer is still contained in the breast when diagnosed have a 90% chance of surviving five years, compared with a 20% five-year survival chance when the cancer has spread at diagnosis.

The incidence of breast cancer is increasing, but with continued support and funding from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, improvements in research mean survival rate is on the rise.

FAST FACTS:

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Australia, with more than 13,600 new cases expected this year – new diagnoses are also expected in 106 men
• More than 2,800 women will die from the disease in a single year – making it one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in females
• One in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85
• Getting older is the most common risk factor: about 13% of new cases are among women aged 20-44, 61% in women aged 45-69 and 26% among women over 70. Women of all ages need to understand the importance of finding and treating breast cancer early
• Despite the significant loss of life, survival prospects continue to improve. Over 96% of women will survive at least one year after diagnosis, and almost 87% will survive five years or more – a 15% increase since the 1980s
• Survival is improving due to better detection and improved treatments which are the result of excellent research
• Breast cancer survivors can experience a range of difficulties, ranging from physical limitations to psychosocial problems. These issues are now emerging as new targets for researchers.

Statistics from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare & National Breast Cancer Centre 2006. Breast cancer in Australia: an overview, 2006. Cancer series no. 34. cat. no. CAN 29. Canberra: AIHW

Breast Cancer is the major cause of cancer death in Australian women accounting for 11,700 new cases of breast cancer and 2,600 deaths each year. Early detection is the best method for reducing deaths from breast cancer.

Fifteen per cent of all breast cancers are advanced at diagnosis. Women whose cancer is diagnosed when it is contained in the breast, have a 90% chance of surviving five years compared with 20% five-year survival when the cancer has spread at diagnosis.

2. When is Breast Cancer Month?

Internationally October is recognised as Breast Cancer Month. It is a time when breast cancer organisations team together to raise awareness and funds for research into the disease. Throughout the month, activities and information will be available highlighting the importance of research.

Throughout the month, there will be a focus on:

• Progress with research – what we know and what we hope to find out in the next two years
• Priorities in research funding – making the best use of funds
• Research and information for women with breast cancer.
  

The fourth Monday of October is known as Pink Ribbon Day.

Pink Ribbon Day is always on the fourth Monday of October. It marks the culmination of breast cancer activities during the month of October. It is recognised as breast cancer’s national day in support of awareness and research, and generates a range of activities with an education and fundraising focus.

Pink Ribbon Day raises funds for research into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Australians are encouraged to purchase a pink ribbon or other merchandise from the various organisations that support us.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation funds research into all aspects of breast cancer including prevention, diagnosis, treatment and support. All funding for research is peer reviewed ensuring scientific merit and a contribution to new knowledge about breast cancer. It is through research that we can hope to find a cure for breast cancer.

Research has given us new knowledge in all areas of breast cancer, from the benefits of screening and early detection, to better diagnoses and treatments and finally hope for prevention. Just a few examples: to date, research has given us a greater understanding of breast cancer cells and how they function. This understanding has enabled researchers to develop better, more targeted treatments.

Research has taught us that breast cancer treatment does not always mean major disfigurative surgery. Thanks to new knowledge from research, specialists can now treat many breast cancer cases by removing the lump itself, leaving the breast intact.

Research has shown us that breast screening is an effective way to detect breast cancers early for women aged 50-69 years, giving patients a greater chance of survival. However screening mammography is not suitable for young women and we need more research to improve early detection in young women.

Research showed that early detection of breast cancer through mammography helps to save women's lives. Research also produced new knowledge of the best way to treat breast cancers using chemotherapy and hormones. The combination of early detection and better treatment has led to a steady reduction in the death rate from breast cancer since 1994.

Doctors are now able to better predict how a particular breast cancer will react to treatment and match the most effective treatment to their patient.

With community support, the National Breast Cancer Foundation has allocated over $55 million to over 230 breast cancer research projects and six scholarships in every state and territory.

Some interesting research projects the National Breast Cancer Foundation is currently funding include:

a. Researching Family History
Australasian researchers are currently conducting world-leading research into the link between family history and the risk of developing breast cancer as part of the kConFab project. One of the objectives of kConFab is to identify families with an increased risk of breast cancer, and to monitor them to determine if there are other contributing factors such as diet or lifestyle impacting on the development of breast cancer. Genetic counselling of siblings, mothers and children is an important component of this research program.

b. Understanding the Needs of Breast Cancer Survivors with lymphoedema
Lymphoedema is a problem faced by many women with breast cancer and can be a disabling and distressing condition. Research is ongoing to measure the prevalence rates of lymphoedema and to identify the needs of women with the condition.

c. Reducing fatigue associated with treatment for breast cancer
Many breast cancer patients experience distressing levels of fatigue, which adversely affect quality of life.

d. Limitations in upper-body function among breast cancer survivors
A significant and enduring complication of breast cancer treatment is in the reduction of upper body strength and mobility. Measuring the nature and extent of the problem assists in the development of programs to optimise physical therapy both during and post breast cancer treatment.

e. Risk factors
Research into the correlation between diet, breast tissue density and cultural background will provide insight into the factors that contribute to a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

f. Other Research Projects Funded Include:

• Training doctors in communication skills
• Surveys looking at emotional concerns of women with breast cancer
• Breast cancer in the Aboriginal community and women of Torres Strait Islander background
• Information needs of younger women
• Influence of lifestyle factors such as number of children, hormone use and smoking and how they change the risk of hereditary breast cancer
• Italian women participating in screening
• Providing on-line support for women in rural and regional Australia

The National Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1994 to promote and support breast cancer research in all its forms. To date, the foundation has allocated over $55 million dollars to over 230 breast cancer research projects throughout Australia. The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is a not-for-profit foundation established to promote and support breast cancer research in all its forms.

Since the formation of the foundation, death rates have been falling. This is as a result of improvements in treatment and early detection all of which have evolved from high standards of research both in Australia and internationally.

Despite these advances there are many aspects of breast cancer which are still not understood, particularly the causes of breast cancer.

The NBCF is here for all the community. In the first instance, it offers each and every one of us an opportunity to contribute dollars for research to help find the answers to breast cancer.

For researchers, it offers a significant, substantial source of designated funding. Researchers can compete for the available funding provided their projects are of the highest order and assessed to be meritorious under the peer review system which operates for medical and health research in this country. All research funded by the National Breast Cancer Foundation is peer-reviewed.

The ultimate aim of the National Breast Cancer Foundation is to provide better health outcomes for women. The research the foundation funds covers every aspect, including bio-medical, clinical, psycho-social, epidemiological, behavioural and health services delivery research.

The following information about breast cancer comes from the National Breast Cancer Centre. The National Breast Cancer Centre is the key organisation informing policy and practice in the management of breast cancer in Australia. The National Breast Cancer Centre seeks to improve outcomes for women with breast cancer by impacting on clinical practice, policy and information. The Centre encourages an evidence-based approach to the diagnosis, treatment and support of women with breast cancer and ensures that research findings are rapidly translated into action. The Centre’s programs are designed to make sure that all women in Australia, regardless of where they live or their circumstances, receive the best possible care.

10. The Facts About Breast Changes

Most Australian women will probably never develop breast cancer. But what a woman does after she finds a change in her breast could change her life. Finding breast cancer early increases the chances of effective treatment.

Look for any changes in the breast which are not normal for you, or which you have not seen before. You should visit a GP if you notice any of the following important changes:

• Lump, lumpiness or thickening: for younger women, if it is not related to the normal monthly cycle and remains after their period and for women of all ages, if this is a new change in one breast only
• Changes to the nipple: such as a change in shape, crusting, a sore or ulcer, redness or indrawing of the nipple
• Discharge from the nipple: which is from one nipple and is bloodstained or occurs without squeezing
• Changes in the skin of the breast: such as any puckering or dimpling of the skin, unusual redness or other colour change
• Persistent unusual pain: which is not related to the normal monthly cycle, remains after their period and it occurs in one breast only
• A change in the shape or size of a breast: this might be either an increase or a decrease in size.

Knowing what is normal for you is just as important after menopause. Breast cancer becomes more common as you grow older, so knowing what is normal for your breasts is just as important after menopause.

Changes in your breasts can be due to many factors. The most common are normal hormonal changes related to the monthly period, pregnancy or menopause and changes due to ageing. Other common causes of changes to the breast which are not of concern, include fluid filled sacs called cysts and solid tissue growths called fibroadenomas. Many women will experience some of these changes at some point in their lives. Only a small proportion of breast changes will be due to cancer.

By knowing what is normal for you at different times in the month and at different stages of your life, you should be able to find any changes in your breast that are unusual for you. All women’s breasts are different but you know better than anyone how your breasts look and feel at different times. There are several ways to get to know what is normal for you. Women are advised to:

• Look at your breasts in the mirror – look at the shape, size and skin of your breasts and nipples. Are there differences between the two breasts or nipples? If so have they appeared in the last few months?
• Feel your breasts from time to time, perhaps while you are dressing, bathing or showering. Remember that your breasts extend to under your collarbone, up under the armpit and include the area around the nipples.

Some women prefer to examine their breasts every month in a more systematic way known as breast self-examination. This is a question of personal preference, which some women find reassuring.

Your GP will know how to investigate any changes in your breast to find out the cause. The vast majority of women who find a breast change will be relieved to know that it is not breast cancer. For those women whose changes are due to breast cancer; the sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of effective treatment.

So visit your GP about any changes in your breasts that are not normal for you. While it may take a week or so to decide whether the breast change is unusual, it is important not to delay too long before seeing a GP.

There are approximately 350,000 consultations in general practice each year for breast change. Most will not be cancer. However the effective investigation of changes will help to ensure that those which are due to cancer are diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

More than half of all breast cancers are detected by women or their doctors as a change in the breast. The recognition of breast changes, which could be due to cancer, and the effective investigation of breast symptoms are vitally important in the early detection of this disease.

The National Breast Cancer Centre’s Breast Health Survey found that 38% of women who had a breast cancer change did not consult a doctor within 3 months of the change occurring, and over a quarter of the women did not consult a healthcare provider at all.

The reasons why Australian women delay in seeking investigation of breast symptoms are not fully understood. Data from overseas suggest that women who experience changes other than breast lumps may be less likely to recognise their significance. Younger and older women may also be more likely to delay than those in mid-life. Some women may not fully understand that breast cancer, if detected early, can be treated effectively.

A detailed review of the survey about the reasons associated with women delaying in seeing a GP about breast symptoms found that delay in presenting with a breast symptom was more likely if:

• The breast symptom was other than a lump
• The woman had a fatalistic outlook believing that treatment will have no effect on outcome. It also appeared that demographic factors might be important. For example, delay was more likely if the woman was younger or older, or from a lower socio-economic background.