RIGHT NOW, YOU *DO NOT* HAVE A ONE IN EIGHT CHANCE OF BREAST CANCER
Have you heard that the average woman’s risk of breast cancer is 1 in 8? This is the risk as understood by most doctors and that I have often quoted to others.
One in eight sounds pretty scary, and I am passionate about dispelling unnecessary fear.
My mind was recently blown when I learned that this risk of 1 in 8, or about 12%, is NOT your risk right now.
It is actually your total risk over your entire lifetime if you live to be 85 years old.
Your Actual Risk
Broken down by decade, your actual risk looks like this:
| Age Decade | Absolute Risk of Breast Cancer | Percentage |
| 30’s | 1 in 227 | 0.4% |
| 40’s | 1 in 68 | 1.5% |
| 50’s | 1 in 42 | 2.4% |
| 60’s | 1 in 28 | 3.6% |
| Over 70 | 1 in 26 | 4% |
Source: Patricia R. Kelly, PhD, Assess Your True Risk of Breast Cancer
Add up the percentages to get 11.9, or about 12% total lifetime risk.
Even if no one in your family has had breast cancer, now with social media, everyone knows or has heard of someone who has had breast cancer. The stories range from scary to inspirational.
My Mom’s Story
My mom had early-stage breast cancer when she was 68 years young. It was found on a mammogram (it’s a good story – watch the video at the top☺), treated and cured. I know the word “cure” is tricky to use, but another fact is that more than 90% of women diagnosed with early breast cancer are cured and need no further treatment.
Even so, with my family history, I wait in suspense every year between my mammogram and the letter saying the results are normal (the letter I have gotten every year so far, thank goodness).
This October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’m going to spend the month sharing information with you about the benefits of (the right kind of) hormone replenishment to lower your risk of breast cancer (both initial and recurrent breast cancer).
Make sure your friends are on this e-newsletter list or connected with me on social media for all the pearls I want to share with you, this month and in the future.
Estrogen prevents Breast Cancer?
I’ll leave you for now with one more shocker: the scientific data shows less breast cancer in women who use estrogen.
Stay tuned for more!
Please leave your comments and questions below.