ABOUT BREAST CANCER

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in Scotland.

• In 2004, (the latest statistics available) 3917 women and 31 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in Scotland i.e. every day at least 10 women are given a diagnoses of breast cancer.

• Since 1994, there has been a 10% increase in the incidence (number of women being diagnosed) of breast cancer.

• In 2005, 1144 women died of breast cancer in Scotland (latest statistics available).

• Breast cancer is a ‘modern’ disease. At the beginning of the 20th century breast cancer was rare.

• Survival rates for breast cancer continue to improve year on year. In 2004, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer increased to 80%.

• Breast cancer is no longer the most common form of cancer from which women in Scotland die. This has now been overtaken by lung cancer.

• The life-time risk of developing breast cancer is dependant on many variable factors, 50 per cent of which have been identified. Lifestyle factors including your age, diet, weight, your exposure to ionization, oral contraceptives and HRT all play an important part – although individually none of these factors increase the risk of breast cancer significantly.

• Following a healthy lifestyle makes sense, but does not guarantee a life free from breast cancer.

• Government Health Promotion Agencies advise us to eat five pieces of fruit and vegetables per day and to limit our intake of alcohol but neglect to mention the growing body of evidence linking environmental pollution to breast cancer.

• For more information, follow the link to Risk Factors.