| It should be stressed that breast cancer is not | | | | zero, that is localized within the breast, has the |
| easy to define. By that I mean that there are | | | | patient receiving an excellent chance of survival in |
| various types of breast cancer, various stages of | | | | the first five years of around 98%. As treatment |
| the growth of the disease, various methods of | | | | techniques and new drugs are discovered and |
| treatment and, of course, various outcomes with | | | | researched, chances of a much longer life |
| some women beating the disease, some living | | | | expectancy continue to improve. Survival is not |
| with it for different lengths of time and some | | | | just a word these days but far more a reality. |
| succumbing to the disease. But to the question | | | | Statistics can at times throw up some |
| can breast cancer be defeated? the answer is | | | | unexpected results and one is related to the age |
| most definitely, yes. | | | | of the patient. Strangely a woman younger than |
| Once a diagnosis has shown the presence of | | | | forty would appear to have a tougher task of |
| breast cancer, there are several factors which | | | | survival than a woman over forty. This is believed |
| must be considered relating directly to the | | | | to be because a cancer can grow more |
| patient's chances of survival. The first factor is | | | | aggressively in a younger woman. |
| that of the stage of the cancer. A zero rating | | | | Survival chances are determined to a large extent |
| means the cancer has been caught in its earliest | | | | by the grade of the cancer cells in the breast |
| stage, has not spread elsewhere in the body and | | | | cancer tumor. Experts can study cancerous cells |
| the patient has an excellent chance of survival. | | | | under a microscope. If the cells are almost normal |
| There are other stages reaching the peak at | | | | in appearance then they are listed as low grade |
| stage 4 which is where the cancer has spread to | | | | and the cancer is deemed less dangerous. |
| other organs and places the patient in the most | | | | However, if the cancerous cells are markedly |
| serious danger. Obviously the earlier the detection | | | | different from normal breast tissue cells then this |
| the more likely it is that a patient will have a low | | | | tumor is regarding as serious. |
| stage reading. | | | | The bottom line, as they say today, is that |
| Any cancer diagnosis is difficult to say the least | | | | breast cancer survival rates depend on a number |
| and can be devastating for the woman, her | | | | of factors. And as hard as it may be to stay |
| friends and family. But if it is possible to be calm in | | | | calm once a diagnosis has found a tumor, it is vital |
| this crisis, it is important to look at today's | | | | that you as the patient, or as the spouse or |
| survival statistics. They have improved | | | | friend of the patient, get all the facts from your |
| enormously over the decades. In the USA, breast | | | | doctor first. It is indeed possible to survive and to |
| cancer detected early and found to be stage | | | | even beat the disease. |