Anybody know how to assess bc risk?

EbonyEyes · August 2015

It took me four long years to pass algebra 1 so I am not good at percentages and stuff like that. Got my mammogram. At the bottom it says:

patient's 10-year risk for developing breast cancer at 4.4% and lifetime risk at 9.8%

Is this average? Better? Worse?

Moderators · August 2015

Hi EbonyEyes,

This is definitely a confusing concept! Which is why the main Breastcancer.org site has a section to explain -- check out Understanding Breast Cancer Risk and How to Lower It for explanations on absolute vs. relative risk.

We hope this helps!

--The Mods

BarredOwl · August 2015

Hi EbonyEyes:

I think your lifetime risk at 9.8% is close to average or even lower. The value typically given for a woman's estimate of lifetime risk of breast cancer, is about 1 in 8 or roughly 12 %. Here is some documentation for that from the National Cancer Institute:

http://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/risk-fact-sheet

One of the limitations of risk estimate tools is that the predictions do not allow one to say precisely which woman will develop breast cancer.

Hope that helps!

BarredOwl

EbonyEyes · August 2015

The Mods:

Thanks for the head's up. I'm still new here and learning how to navigate this site.

EbonyEyes · August 2015

Barred Owl:

Thanks -- you always comne through for me!

MelissaDallas · August 2015

That is a low (good) average. In general and overall, the population of women as a whole averages about 13% breast cancer rate.

Anybody know how to assess bc risk?

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