What the heck is going on with this BC thing????????
kezmusc
Member Posts: 1,553 ✭
Ok, so I know the figures are 1 in 8 or 1 in 7 depending on which article you read but honestly. When I was diagnosed I knew one of my friends sister had had breast cancer and my family history 3 generations ago. That was it.
I would see the bookings come through at work averaging one or two breast surgeries a week and sometimes there would be a few weeks with none at all.
Now. WOW! 4 - 6 a week with the majority being 45-55yrs and a definite rise in under 40's.
One of my friends mother in law diagnosed last year and now her mother last week. my daughters friends mother, a close work collegue a couple of months ago, a collegues sister a week after that, a collegues daughter around the same time. One of the senior medical consultants. A client drops a horse off to me and has to run or she'll be late for radiation!
Bugger me. I get in to work today and ask where so and so is. "Oh, haven't you heard" She's been diagnosed last week and is off for bilat mx and ax clearance. All of these people I know in my little circle diagnosed within the last 12 months.
Seriously what the heck is going on?
I would see the bookings come through at work averaging one or two breast surgeries a week and sometimes there would be a few weeks with none at all.
Now. WOW! 4 - 6 a week with the majority being 45-55yrs and a definite rise in under 40's.
One of my friends mother in law diagnosed last year and now her mother last week. my daughters friends mother, a close work collegue a couple of months ago, a collegues sister a week after that, a collegues daughter around the same time. One of the senior medical consultants. A client drops a horse off to me and has to run or she'll be late for radiation!
Bugger me. I get in to work today and ask where so and so is. "Oh, haven't you heard" She's been diagnosed last week and is off for bilat mx and ax clearance. All of these people I know in my little circle diagnosed within the last 12 months.
Seriously what the heck is going on?
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Comments
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I don't know whether it went under the radar for us before or it's just that we've got to that age.2
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You are right @kezmusc. More and more women are being diagnosed and at a younger age. I asked this question to the Onco. I also asked her why the incidence was so much higher in developed countries compared to developing countries. There needs to be more research on WHY, but the big pharma companies will not be interested in funding such research.3
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Diet must have a lot to do with it, especially as more people than ever are overweight. The medical oncologist was very blunt in saying I need to get my BMI below 30 as fat produces estrogen and works against the aims of endocrine therapy.1
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Hi All
lots of stats and info on risk factors out there to ponder over
Overweight
Consumption of alcohol
Lack of exercise
Delay in having children
Not breastfeeding
Living longer
Living in Australia
Yes we are more aware
Media and celebrity health status have shaped our awareness
People are more willing to share details of their health problems than they did 15/20 years ago
It has become part of our social consiousness
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The increase in awareness and screening leads to higher stats but also better survival rates.
Undeveloped countries...well let's face it, a lot of those women don't have the privilege of aging and many would die without even having a confirmed diagnosis even if they did. Unfortunately undeveloped countries don't have the screening and health programs we do.
My grandmother died of some kind if women's cancer. She never had it investigated just treated with morphine at the end. It's only once one of her daughters was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that they knew and a further 3 developed either breast or ovarian cancer. My point...just because not included in stats doesn't mean it hasn't been happening.
Also there seems to be a big increase following any screening advertising push. Makes sense.4 -
We live in a far more advanced world now.The difference is staggering from generation to generation
cancer was once a death sentence now there is hope for a lot more of us3 -
I was 53 diagnosed. No family history. Not over weight. Hardly ever drank alcohol even when young. Always very active. In fact I had just spent a few years renovating houses. I did breast feed both children however it wasn't for more than a few months as I had little boobs which couldn't produce a lot of milk as they aged.
I did take the contraceptive pill most of my life though which is a medicine marvel. Maybe that had something to do with it?
My oncologist said it was because I was female.
My mother said it was because I didn't do my holy communion right.10 -
My surgeon’s nurse said ‘because you are post menopausal and have breasts’. Haven’t had anything much clearer since. No family history, breastfed for almost a year (not my intention but child had other ideas). Light smoker before giving up decades before, did drink alcohol though. I took the pill but had also been off it for over 15 years. There may be reasons but blind chance figures in there too.2
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I feel the same. It’s all around me at the moment ☹️3
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Yes @Mightystar I am the same, my life is spent around cancery type stuff. Blah, maybe I need a new job it appears to be catching like the flu where I am.
@Afraser I find the menopause thing a bit interesting. If the risk goes up post menopausal, does that mean all of those that were put into menopause by the treatment are now at more risk...yes or no. All the hormone positive people are trying to keep oestrogen low and mimic menopause yet the risk increases sharply after natural menopause. Go figurePeople are living longer now than ever before. And one of the risks for most cancers is simply getting older. But it should be noted that the 1 in 8 figure is a lifetime risk – and that during a lifetime, risk changes. For breast cancer, risk increases sharply from around the time of the menopause – see the table below:
P.s my mother blames Agent Orange....Up to and including age Risk (women) 29 1 in 2000 39 1 in 215 49 1 in 50 59 1 in 22 69 1 in 13 Lifetime risk 1 in 8 3 -
Hey, Agent Orange is a reasonable stab in the dark!! Sorry, no idea what treatment induced menopause may do (other than a side effect of getting rid of bc!), only that when I was diagnosed, approximately 75% of bc cases were in post menopausal women. That figure may have changed, but even to my sceptical mind, it was a pretty strong indicator of where something may go pear shaped. I stick to my (untrained) opinion that cancer is probably due to a combination of factors - which will naturally vary considerably individually. So chemo induced menopause may be a significantly different ingredient in the different potential triggers in different people. Clear as mud!3
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Diagnosed at 40. Never smoked, never drink alcohol, never on the pill, within healthy weight range, no close family history yet I got BC.2
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What is statistically supposed to be a risk such as early menarche, (first period), no pregnancies, little or no breastfeeding, overweight, alcohol, family history...(to list a few) certainly didn't apply to me. First period age 14, three pregnancies, fed my second child for 2 years 4 months, fed my third child for 2 years 1 month. (First baby...a long story, n/a here. Weighed between 50 kg and 60 kg since late teens. (diagnosed at 57), non drinker apart from champers at weddings and so on. No significant family history except for one maternal aunt who had breast cancer, but died of a stroke. Only on the pill for about one year and never had HRT.2
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Why don't we just Blame it on Rio
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