Taye Milong
Ms. Pulido
English 9
16 November 2012
Go Pink Imagine having to live in fear of getting a disease which has killed millions of women over the years. Breast cancer is when cells in the breast divide and grow without normal control.
Tumors in the breast tend to grow slowly. By the time a lump is large enough to feel, it may have been growing for as long as 10 years. However, some tumors are aggressive and grow much more rapidly (Komen). Women can get other types of cancers, but most women get diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer has a negative effect on women because a lot of people die from it, regardless of what they do, anyone can get it, and there’s no way to prevent it from happening. A lot of women in the United States of America have been diagnosed and killed with breast cancer. Breast cancer can be hereditary. If 1 out of 2 twin girls got breast cancer, then the other would most likely get it too. The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2010 state that breast cancer is one of the most deadliest cancers in the United States (lung cancer ranks first). For example, “An estimated 192,370 women and 1,910 men in the U.S. will have been diagnosed with breast cancer” (The World Almanac). Anyone can get breast cancer no matter what gender, but girls just have a higher chance of getting it. The risk for breast cancer increases with age. It is higher for women with a personal or family history of cancer than women without a history. The World Almanac states that an estimated 2.4 million women are living with a history of breast cancer. For example, “In 2009, an estimated 40,610 women and 440 men in the United States have died from breast cancer” (The World Almanac). This shows that anyone can get breast cancer no matter what the gender, but women get breast cancer more than men. Therefore, a lot of women in the United States of America have been diagnosed and killed with breast cancer. Girls have a higher chance of getting breast cancer when starting puberty early. Women who started their period before age 12 were especially susceptible to getting breast cancer
Genomics and Genetics weekly states that kids who have started their period under the age of 12 are more prone to getting breast cancer. For example, “The typical age for an American girls first menstrual cycle has been dropping considerably” (“Breast Cancer Inherited”). Researchers should try to come up with a solution to help people who started their periods at a young age. This shows that breast cancer has a negative effect on women because they can get it no matter how old they are. The earlier you start puberty, the more likely you will get breast cancer. Genomics and Genetics weekly states that weird sensitivity to hormones that you get during puberty can be linked to certain breast cancer. For example, “Certain breast cancers may be linked to an unusual sensitivity to the hormones that flood the body at puberty” (“Breast Cancer Inherited”). Researchers should find a treatment for women who had periods under the age of 12. Girls have a higher chance of getting breast cancer when starting puberty early. Overweight women have a higher chance of getting breast cancer than regular women. Obesity can cause a higher risk of getting breast cancer, but less is known about its effect on breast cancer prognosis. Cancer Weekly Plus states that fat women have a better chance of dying from breast cancer than regular women. For example, “Obese women were significantly more likely than lean women to die of breast cancer” (“Breast Cancer Prognosis”). Women should watch what they eat so they have a better chance at not getting breast cancer. Obesity increases mortality risk in women with breast cancer. Cancer Weekly Plus states that obese women are more likely to die of breast cancer than normal sized women. For example, “Obesity is an established risk factor for some