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Media Resources
2010 Media Release
Pink Ribbon Day 2010 Filler Ads
Breast Cancer Facts and Figures
- Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in females and is responsible for the highest death rate. It is uncommon in males.
- Over 12,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia each year
- Sadly, more than 2,500 women are expected to lose their battle with breast cancer
- The risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 85 is 1 in 9 for women and 1 in 583 for men.
- Mammographic screening every two years is recommended for women aged 50-70 years, though it is available to women from 40 years of age. Younger women in high risk groups may be screened by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Symptoms of breast cancer include:
- New lumps or thickening in the breast or under the arm Nipple sores
- Discharge or turning in
- Skin of the breast dimpling
- Rash, or red swollen breasts
- Pain is rare
- Depending on the type of breast cancer, and its severity, treatment ranges from surgery to remove all or part of the breast and surrounding lymph nodes; chemotherapy and radiotherapy
- Increasing age, family history, inheritance of mutations in the genes BRCA2, BRCA1 and CHEK2, exposure to female hormones (natural and administered), obesity (diet and exercise) and excess alcohol consumption are all associated with breast cancer, as well as some benign breast disease and past exposure to radiation
- There is no proven method of prevention, however, high risk women (very strong family history) can benefit from hormones such as tamoxifen, usually administered over five years. Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy can be considered in high risk women with gene mutations
- If the cancer is limited to the breast, 98% of patients will survive (survival is considered as being free of cancer five years after the cancer is detected); this figure excludes those who die from other diseases. If the cancer has spread to the regional lymph nodes survival drops to 83%
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