Dr. John Ervin, a Vidalia OB-GYN, reminds us that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You may have read recently the news that cancer death rates have decreased. While this is great news, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the US. Heart disease is still No. 1.

Some statistics from BreastCancer.Org:

-Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2006, an estimated 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed, along with 61,980 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. And 40,970 women are expected to die in 2006 from this disease.i

-Breast cancer is the leading cancer among white and African American women. African American women are more likely to die from this disease.ii

-Breast cancer incidence in women has increased from one in 20 in 1960 to one in eight today.iii

Early detection is still the key to survival. For breast cancer, that means regular self-examination and annual mammograms for women over the age of 40! The problem is that women of color are not making or keeping appointments with their doctor and are falling behind in having annual examinations.

And then there is breast cancer in women of color. This from the Department of Surgery at Columbia University:

Facts about Women of Color and Breast Cancer:

Though breast cancer is less common in African American women than white women, when they do develop the disease they are more likely to die from it, especially if they are under age 50.

The breast cancer death rate in African Americans is 37% higher than for whites.

Among women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, tumors are hormone-receptor negative in 40% of African American women, compared with 23% in white women. Hormone-negative tumors are associated with worse outcomes and an increased risk of recurrence. They are not responsive to Tamoxifen, an effective medication used to reduce recurrence of hormone-positive tumors.

Less research and educational resources have been dedicated to higher mortality rates for African-Americans.

Issues facing younger women are particularly germane to women of color, who represent a disproportionate number of women diagnosed prior to age 40.

The standard breast cancer screening method, mammography, which was developed for women over age 40, is not as effective in younger women, who have much denser breasts,

Younger woman with breast cancer must face the possibility of early menopause.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments for breast cancer take a greater toll on a younger woman, threatening her fertility, and potentially leaving her with adverse health effects such as osteoporosis for more than half of her lifespan.

Have you heard of the The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act? It’s a federal law passed in 1998. Among other things, it requires insurance companies that provide coverage for mastectomies to also cover certain services related to breast reconstruction after the procedure.