Breast cancer in the United States

Breast cancer is a major health problem in the United States. The causative factors are not known so the prevention of breast cancer remains difficult. Treatment advances have taken place over the last 30 years to allow for less radical surgery and breast-conserving procedures. Now a woman who finds a small breast cancer does not have to face mastectomy as her only option. This will allow women to seek medical advice early if they find a breast mass. Although the breast-conserving procedures have been shown to be as effective as mastectomy their use is still low in the United States. The reasons for the preponderance of mastectomies are unclear. The future hopes for breast cancer are: (1) discovery of the causative factors so that a preventive method can be established; (2) more effective chemotherapy against established tumors; and (3) the discovery of markers of the aggressiveness of tumors so that the appropriate patients can be treated after surgery. With the increased public awareness of the magnitude of the health problem that breast cancer represents more funds are being earmarked for breast cancer research. In the near future we can hope medical scientists will be able to make the necessary strides to bring the disease under control.