ly early age; those who experienced menopause, or the permanent cessation of menstruation, at an unusually late age; those who waited until later in life to have children; and those who never gave birth. Such findings, all of which relate to hormone-based life events, suggest that breast cancer is somehow affected by prolonged exposure to female sex hormones, such as estrogen. Women with a history of breast cancer in the family are also at greater risk. About five percent of all breast cancers have been attributed to a mutated, or structurally altered, gene known as BRCA1. Mutations in a second gene, BRCA2, contribute significantly to the development of breast cancer in Jewish women. Alcohol, high levels of fat in the diet, and not exercising regularly have also been linked to increased risk for breast cancer (Garber). Three-quarters of all breast cancer patients are not in any of the groups considered at increased risk for breast cancer, indicating that not all risk factors are understood. As a result, doctors recommend that every woman should familiarize herself with the techniques for monthly breast self-examination. X-ray examination of the breasts, a technique called mammography, can detect tumors before they are large enough to be felt and increase the odds for successful treatment. The American Cancer Society recommends that women over age 40 should have a mammogram every year. The only way to make a positive diagnosis on a suspect lump in the breast is by having a biopsy, a minor surgical procedure in which the lump or part of the lump is removed and examined under a microscope. The most common sites of metastasis in breast cancer patients are the lymph glands located in the armpit. The presence or absence of cancer cells in the lymph glands helps physicians determine how far the cancer has advanced and whether a woman is likely to be cured by mastectomy, the surgical removal of the breast (Garber). Removal of a cancerous...
