For women with breast cancer

Breast cancer is a very important health problem in the United States and various other countries around the world. Breast cancer occupies second rank as the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in America. Until recently cancer of the breast topped the list of leading causes of cancer deaths in women, it still occupies an unenviable second position, second only to lung cancer. If skin cancer is excluded, cancer of the breast is the commonest cancer among women living in America. According to the WHO, more than 1.2 million women get the new diagnosis of breast cancer every year in the world. These numbers represent tremendous challenges posed by breast cancer within the United States of America and across the world.

Breast cancer claims the top position as the leading cause of deaths from cancer among women aged between 40 and 55 years. Breast cancer can occur in males too; with about 1450 new cases of male breast cancer diagnosed every year in the United States. It is comforting to note that the deaths from breast cancer among women of all ages have declined in US by 2.8 percent for every year from 1990 to 2000. The declining mortality rates may be attributed to the successful screening programs and progress in various therapy modalities of breast cancer.