An estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2008. Approximately 40,480 women will die from breast cancer in 2008. Breast cancer is the most common site of cancer in women (besides skin cancer) and the second-leading cause of cancer death in women.
The five-year relative survival rate for localized breast cancer has increased from 72 percent in the 1940s to close to 100 percent for stage 0 and I breast cancers, and 92 percent for stage IIA. If the cancer is in stage IIB, the five-year survival rate is currently 81 percent, and it is 67 percent for stage IIIA, 54 percent for stage IIIB, and 20 percent for stage IV.
Survival after a diagnosis of breast cancer continues to decline beyond five years. Ten-year survival and beyond is also stage-dependent, with the best survival observed in women with early stage disease.
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I am sad to write that I finally had to put my beloved Blue Heeler, Ben, to sleep on Sunday morning October 26. That was about 90 days from the first start of symptoms of nasal cancer (started snorting as though he had a human cold, then mucous discharge with blood about 5 days later). This coincidentally is the median life span of dogs with nasal cancer that don’t get traditional cancer treatment (surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy).
I unintentionally wasted the first 5 weeks with a local vet who believed he had a fungal infection (Aspergillus), virus, bacterial infection or just an inflammation. He almost killed Ben in the first week with a bad cocktail of anesthetic. Subsequent anaesthetic by another vet and the MRI clinic had no problems with his quick recovery from it afterwards.
This first vet said they needed a rhinoscope to investigate but incorrectly claimed that no one probably had one in Adelaide, South Australia. At the fifth week I decided to do a Google search and found about 4 vets in Adelaide that promoted the use of a rhinoscope.
I then referred Ben’s case to the good doctors at the Adelaide Animal Hospital and within 3 days of the procedure (4 biopsies in Bens turbinate bone area) discovered that he didn’t have fungus, a virus or bacteria but Transitional Cell Carcinoma.
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Cancer is a group of diseases when abnormal cells divide without control, and grow and spread to any part of the body invading tissue, bones and organs. So it can affect any part of the body. Cancers cells usually spread around the body through the blood and lymph systems.
There are more than 100 types of cancer. So it just not one disease but many diseases. It is usually named after the organ or type of cell in which they start. So you get cancers such as breast cancer or transitional cell carcinoma.
Types of cancer can be grouped into a number of categories:
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