What Do You Know About Breast Cancer?

More than 1.7 million U.S. women with a history of the disease are alive today, mainly because of early detection. The five-year survival rate is 95 percent if the cancer is detected before it spreads.

Women of any age can develop this disease, however.

The figure is 80 percent.

Using deodorant can make the X-ray hard to read. You also should not use any lotions or powders under your arms or on your breasts that day.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) says the use of alcohol slightly increases the risk of getting breast cancer. One drink a day may cause a small increased risk; two to five drinks a day increases the risk to about 1½ times the risk of women who drink no alcohol.

Although experts no longer recommend that women do breast self-exams, if you choose to do so, the best time is one week after your period starts. Check your breasts on the first day of each month if you have gone through menopause.

The risk for breast cancer increases somewhat for women who have children later in life or who have never had children.

The ACS says although no direct link between smoking and breast cancer has been discovered, some studies suggest it might increase breast cancer risk. This is particularly true for women who start smoking as teens.

Often, more than one type of treatment is needed.

Talk to your doctor about how often you should have a mammogram. He or she may want you to start having mammograms at an earlier age and have them more often if you're at high risk for the disease. When you turn 50, you should have a yearly mammogram.

The ACS says women who have a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer have about double the risk. Women whose close blood relatives from either the mother’s or father’s side of the family had breast cancer also have an increased risk for the disease.

In 2005, the ACS said that long-term use of hormone therapy (HT) may slightly increase the risk for breast cancer. HT may also increase the risk for heart disease, blood clots, and strokes. Breast cancer found in women who use HT is often found at a more advanced stage, the ACS said. This may be because HT makes it more difficult to find breast cancer on a mammogram. The risk for breast cancer drops back to normal five years after a woman stops HT. Taking estrogen alone does not seem to increase the risk of breast cancer as much, if at all, the ACS says.

Studies show that exercise reduces the risk, but how much exercise is not known. Women under age 40 who exercised at least four hours a week reduced their risk for breast cancer by 60 percent, one study found. Another found that 75 minutes to 2-1/2 hours per week of brisk walking reduced the risk by 18 percent.

Heart disease is the leading cause.