Breast Cancer
Every 12 minutes, a woman in the United States dies of breast cancer. It is the most common malignancy in women and the second-leading cause of women’s cancer deaths (15 percent) behind lung cancer (25 percent). The American Cancer Society estimates that 211,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year, and 43,300 patients will die from the disease.

The risk factors listed below can increase the chance of a woman having breast cancer:

	Risk Factors
Menstrual period	Early onset of menses (before age 12) and late menopause (after age 50) may cause a slight increase for risk of breast cancer.
Diet	A diet that is high in saturated fat triggers estrogen that fuels tumor growth. It is important to eat plenty of fruits/vegetables. Monosaturated fats like olive/canola oil do not appear to increase the risk, but polyunsaturated fats like corn oil do. Omega 3 is a healthy fat that protects the breast. Also, being overweight is linked to higher risk of breast cancer.
Family history	Women who have close blood relatives with breast cancer have a higher risk for breast cancer. Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer almost doubles a woman's risk.
Race	Caucasian women are slightly more likely to get breast cancer than are African-American women. But African-Americans are more likely to die of this cancer.
Not having children	Women who have had no children, or who had their first child after age 30, have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer.
Hormone replacement therapy	Combined use of estrogens together with progesterone for several years or more for the relief of menopause symptoms may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer as well as the risk of heart disease, blood clots, and strokes.
Personal history of breast cancer	Women with cancer in one breast have a greater chance of getting a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast.
Lack of exercise	Some studies suggest that exercising reduces the risk of breast cancer by strengthening the immune system and reducing the estrogen level.
Alcohol consumption	Women who have one to two drinks per day have a slightly increased risk. Those who have two or more drinks daily have 1 1/2 times the risk of getting breast cancer.
Birth control pills	Taking contraceptives (the pill) increases the risk of getting breast cancer. Women who stopped using the pill more than 10 years ago do not seem to have any increased risk of getting breast cancer.
Genetic risk factors	Five to 10 percent of women who have breast cancer are thought to carry the mutant BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene; carriers have a lifetime risk.

Studies are still under way on the relationship between breast cancer to cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke. However, smoking affects your overall health and increases the risk for many other cancers.

Early detection is the best prevention
It is important to conduct monthly self-exams, and have regular doctor visits, scheduled mammograms, and yearly screenings. While the large majority of lumps are benign, if you discover a persistent lump in your breast or other changes in breast tissue, see a physician immediately. For more information, contact the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

Prostate Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be approximately 230,900 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2004, and about 29,900 men will die from it. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men (10 percent), exceeded only by lung cancer (32 percent).

While all men are at risk for prostate cancer, the risk factors listed below can increase the chances of having the disease:

	Risk Factors
Age	The chance of getting prostate cancer increases rapidly after age 50.
Race	African-American men are more likely to have prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die of it than are Caucasian or Asian men.
Nationality	Prostate cancer is most common in North America and northwestern Europe.
Diet	Men who eat a lot of red meat or have a lot of high-fat dairy products in their diet seem to have a greater risk of getting prostate cancer. These men also tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables.
Lack of exercise	Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Family History	Men with close family members (father or brother) who have had prostate cancer are more likely to get it themselves, especially if their relatives were young when they got the disease.

Early detection is the best prevention
The American Cancer Society provides the following guidelines for physicians and the public. Annually, men 50 and older should be offered early detection tests such as the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal exam; men at high risk (family history, African-Americans) should begin early detection testing at age 45; and prior to testing, all men should be provided with information about the benefits and limitations of testing. For more information, contact the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org