Reducing Breast Cancer Risk in Women : Introduction by Susan M. Love

Breast cancer is not only a burning public issue, but very soon we shall see genetic testing for a woman's predisposition to breast cancer. Many women will be demanding to know their degree of risk and will need counselling to cope with that information. This book is particularly aimed at primary health care professionals, including physicians, medical assistants, nurses and counsellors, who daily deal with questions from women concerned about their risk of developing breast cancer. To answer such questions, this book has combined a guide to identifying women at higher risk to breast cancer, with a balanced review of approaches which aim to reduce that risk. The book provides practical general measures which may reduce risk for women at average risk. For women at clearly increased risk various protective options with different levels of efficacy and acceptability are discussed. Central to the book is the patient-centered view. We need to face reality that it still will take many years before the current clinical trials of preventive measures provide meaningful results. Meanwhile, women who seek to diminish their risk of breast cancer need all the available information. They must be given full responsibility to make an informed decision on their own health care. __Reducing Breast Cancer Risk in Women__ is a practical handbook, technicalities have been deliberately kept to a minimum, making it concise and easy to read. Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Who Develops Breast Cancer?....Pages 3-9 Risk from Family History....Pages 11-18 Childbearing and Related Risk Factors....Pages 19-28 Risk from Benign Breast Disease....Pages 29-39 Risk from Age, Race and Social Class....Pages 41-45 Assessing a Woman’s Genetic Risk....Pages 47-54 Ethics and Economics of Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer....Pages 55-65 Front Matter....Pages 67-67 Counseling the High-Risk Woman....Pages 69-80 Mastectomy for Cancer Prevention....Pages 81-89 Trial of Tamoxifen Therapy for Protection....Pages 91-101 Trial of Vitamin A Analogues for Protection....Pages 103-108 Trial of Low Fat Diet for Protection....Pages 109-118 Trial of Ovarian Suppression for Protection....Pages 119-123 Compliance by High-Risk Women....Pages 125-131 Front Matter....Pages 133-133 Dietary Guidelines....Pages 135-144 Risks Associated with Obesity....Pages 145-153 Choosing Hormonal Contraception....Pages 155-164 Choosing Hormone Replacement Therapy....Pages 165-175 Clinical Programs for Breast Cancer Protection....Pages 177-183 Nurses’ Role in Educating Women on Risks....Pages 185-192 Front Matter....Pages 193-193 Women’s Perspectives on Breast Cancer Protection....Pages 195-204 A Patient’s View of Breast Cancer Trials....Pages 205-208 Should We Aim at Prevention in Youth?....Pages 209-216 Role and Limitations of Mammography in Screening....Pages 217-221 The Mind and Breast Cancer Risk....Pages 223-229 Avoidable Environmental Links to Breast Cancer....Pages 231-235 Asking the Right Questions....Pages 237-242 Back Matter....Pages 243-252