It being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I have been reading a lot about cancer. I was surprised that after all my research there were some basic facts about women and cancer that I was still missing. I learned a lot from this article What Women Don't Know About Cancer and here are a few facts you should know.
- The vast majority of cancers occur in women who have no family history of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society only five to ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary. So family history may be part of the equation, but most cancers occur in women with no family history at all.
- Taking oral contraceptives is associated with a reduced risk of ovarian, uterine, and possibly colorectal cancer
- Though more women get more breast cancer than lung cancer, far fewer breast cancer patients die. Eighty percent of lung cancers in women are caused by smoking. I am going to say it one more time, quitting smoking is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body.
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I think if I had to choose, I'd pick breast cancer over almost any other kind of cancer because you can definitely live without a breast. Most other types of cancer are more difficult to catch in the early stages when surgery is an option. I'm glad I never started smoking...that is one habit that can lead to a LOT of different cancers. All those mutagens going straight into your lungs and into your bloodstream can't be good for any part of your body.