Breast Cancer Risk

Grandma has her bone scan done this afternoon. It required two visits to the lab. The first one was for the injection of a dye and the scan was 2 1/2 hours later.

Grandma's road to recovery is not a steady continual improvement. How she feels fluctuates from day to day. Yesterday, she had a good day and today it is not that great. Most of her discomforts are related to the nerves. The following is what my mom has read from a book called "The Intelligent Patient Guide to Breast Cancer":

"Many nerves pass through the breast to the skin and to the nipple. In addition, the intercostal-brachial nerves come from the area between the ribs, through the armpit (axilla) and reach to the underside or back of the upper arm. These nerves are often stretched or cut during surgery in the armpit which leads to an unpleasant tingling, burning, numb or 'thick' sensation on the back or underside of the upper arm. These sensations usually fade partly or completely over several months after surgery, but some numbness is often permanent."

The book also explains about breast cancer risk. The risk for breast cancer increases with age. Women over the age of 70 are four times more at risk than someone who is 40 years old. For three-quarters of the women diagnosed with breast cancer, age is the only identifiable risk factor. The lifetime risk for certain ages is:

* by age 25 - less than 1 in 1,000
* by age 50 - 1 in 63
* by age 75 - 1 in 15
* by age 90 - 1 in 9

At age 80, Grandma's risk is naturally high. Now that Grandma has breast cancer, what are the risks for my mom and Emily? The book says:

"A family history of breast cancer in a close relative such as your mother, sister or daughter contributes to your risk. However, breast cancer in only one distant relative such as an aunt or grandmother has little or no impact on your risk."