Research News: SABCS: IOM Lists BC Risks in Environment

This information is dated about 5-6 years old however see footnote #3.  I do agree life style choices does affect our health in many way - but not all the blame can be place on patients.  These experts need to look closer at the real environmental causes in our food, water and daily products used in our homes.  The incidence in breast cancer is rising and seen in younger women.  Don't forget we are the generation who used oral contraceptive pills. 

http://ratical.org/radiation/CNR/PBC/table1F.html

Table 1
Estimated Breast-Cancer Mortalities, Incidence, and I/M Ratios, U.S.A *

Breast Cancer   Breast Cancer     I / M
Year      Mortality      Incidence        Values

1960        23,755         NA               NA
1965        NA             62,000           NA
1967        26,900         64,000          2.379
1968        28,350         65,000          2.293
1970        30,100         68,000          2.259
1971        30,500         69,000          2.262
1972        32,000         70,000          2.188
1973        32,400         73,000          2.253
1974        32,500         89,000          2.738
1975        32,600         88,000          2.699
1977        33,700         89,000          2.641
1978        33,800         90,000          2.663
1979        34,200        106,000          3.099
1980        35,500        108,000          3.042
1981        36,800        110,000          2.989
1982        37,000        112,000          3.027
1983        37,200        114,000          3.065
1984        37,300        115,000          3.083
1985        38,400        119,000          3.099
1986        39,900        123,000          3.083
1987        41,000        130,000          3.171
1988        42,000        135,000          3.214
1989        43,000        142,000          3.302
1990        44,000        150,000          3.409
1991        44,500        175,000          3.933
1992        46,000        180,000          3.913
1993        46,000        182,000          3.957
1994        46,000        182,000          3.957
1995        46,000        182,000          3.957
1996        44,300        184,300          4.160

(1) Breast-cancer incidence rises from 68,000 to 184,300 between 1970 and 1996. Factor of Rise = 184,300 / 68,000 = 2.71. Rise = 171 %.

        (2) Female Population Rise from 1970 to 1995 = 134,461 / 104,309 = 1.29. Rise = 29 %. (Table 2)

        (3) There is no way that female population increase alone can account for the enormous rise in breast-cancer incidence.

        (4) During the same period (1970-1996), the number of breast-cancer deaths rose to 44,300 from 30,100. Factor of Rise = 1.47. Rise = 47%.

        (5) Meanwhile, the fraction of all U.S. women over age 60 keeps increasing (longer lifespan), which means more women are in the ages of high breast-cancer mortality. Thus the raw number of breast-cancer deaths per 100,000 women (all ages combined) has risen, while the AGE-ADJUSTED number of breast-cancer deaths per 100,000 females has remained almost constant.

        * Source: American Cancer Society, annual January-February issues of CA - A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Exception: The 1960 figure came from ACS 1994, p.5.