Breast cancer survival rates soar
BY SCHNEPS MEDIA
A breast-cancer diagnosis
can be a devastating blow.
Upon receiving such a diagnosis,
people may begin to ask
questions about treatment and
the impact cancer may have
on their personal lives. Many
people who are diagnosed
with cancer also begin to wonder
about their mortality.
An estimated 266,120 new
cases of invasive breast cancer
and 63,960 new cases of
non-invasive, or in-situ, breast
cancer are expected to be diagnosed
among women in the
United States this year, according
to Breastcancer.org.
According to the latest statistics
presented by the Canadian
Breast Cancer foundation,
26,300 women and
230 men had been diagnosed
with breast cancer in Canada
in 2017.
The good news is that
breast-cancer incidence rates
began decreasing in 2000 after
increasing for the previous
two decades. In addition,
death rates from breast cancer
have been decreasing steadily
since 1989.
The National Cancer Institute
Early detection and better treatment options are improving the chances of surviving breast cancer.
says that the change in
age-adjusted mortality rates
are an indicator of the progress
being made in the fi ght
against breast cancer. The
most recent SEER Cancer
Statistics Review released in
April 2018 indicates cancer
death rates among women
decreased by 1.4 percent per
year between the years of 2006
and 2015.
The American Cancer Society
says that decreasing
death rates among major cancer
types, including prostate,
colorectal, lung, and breast
cancers, are driving the overall
shift in survival. The Society
says breast-cancer death
rates among women declined
by 39 percent from 1989 to
2015. That progress is attributed
to improvements in early
detection and treatment protocols.
For anyone doing the
math, over the last 25 years
or so, 322,000 lives have been
saved from breast cancer.
A similar scenario has unfolded
in Canada. Breast cancer
mortality rates in Canada
recently decreased to 21.4
percent, down from 21.8 percent
in 2011, states data from
the Canadian Cancer Society.
Currently, the fi ve-year
survival rate for breast cancer
among Canadians is 87
percent, and the fi ve-year net
survival in the United States
is 85 percent.
Increased knowledge
about breast cancer, early
detection through examinations
and mammography,
and improved treatments are
helping to drive up the survival
rates of breast cancer.
Although this does not make
diagnosis any less scary,
it does offer hope to those
recently diagnosed.
People with Medicare,
Mark Your Calendars!
Open enrollment is October 15th to December 7th, 2020.
During this period, you can sign up for
or switch your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
and/or Medicare Advantage Plan.
All changes are effective January 1, 2021.
For more information, call Aging Connect
at 212-244-6469
and ask for “HIICAP” or “SHIP”
This project was supported by a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,52 OCTOBER 9-15, 2020 BTR
City Island cleanup
City Island Rising members clean up City Island Avenue. The cleanup event was part of the
efforts of the civic group and members of the community, which took place on Saturday,
Sept. 26. Photos courtesy of John Doyle
/Breastcancer.org