- 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime
- 7 of 8 breast cancer patients have no direct family relative afflicted with the disease
- 70% of women who develop breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors other than age
...and younger women face unique issues:
- Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for American women ages 35 to 50.
- Younger women with breast cancer have worse outcomes and more advanced disease than older women.
- Breast cancer diagnosis within two years of childbirth has nearly 50% mortality.
Excluding skin cancer, the breast is the leading site of
cancer among women. Breast cancer also ranks a women's number
one health concern today, as warranted by the following
statistics:
- In the United States, the average woman has a 12.5 percent lifetime risk of developing invasive breast cancer.
- The American Cancer Society estimates that over 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year.
- Over 50,000 additional cases of in situ breast cancer will be diagnosed.
- An estimated 40,000 U.S. women are expected to die from this disease this year.
Until recently, the standard care for
screening women to assess their
breast health and risk of developing breast cancer was review of family history, physical breast exam, plus
regular mammography for women over 40 or 50.
However, clinical experience has shown that none of these methods is effective
in identifying cancers at the cellular level. By the time the cancer is
detected by either physical examination or mammography,
the woman may have
had the disease for six to ten years, with significant risk of serious
consequences - including death. In addition, it should be noted that
more than 70% of breast lumps are initially found through self-examination.
Now, the
HALO™ Breast Pap Test can detect cellular abnormalities years before a
larger, potentially cancerous lesion might develop.
Although great progress has been made over the past 50 years in reducing
deaths from cervical cancer, only modest progress has been made in
reducing breast cancer mortality.
