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Breast Cancer

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3D nipple tattoos

Treating lymphedema

Research advances over the past two decades have changed the landscape of breast cancer care. Genetic testing, targeted treatments and more precise surgical techniques have helped boost survival rates in some cases while helping to support breast cancer patients' quality of life.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). While the leading risk factors are well known—older age, family history, mutations in certain genes—the most important risk factor for breast cancer is simply being a woman. The fact that any woman can develop breast cancer is one reason annual mammograms and clinical breast exams are so important; regular screening helps detect cancer early. As with every type of cancer, when breast cancer is discovered early, there are more treatment options available, survival rates are longer and the cure rate is higher.

Data from the NCI show consistent declines in both new cases and deaths from breast cancer since 1990. Further, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that from 2002 to 2011, the incidence of breast cancer among U.S. women did not increase, while mortality decreased 1.9 percent annually. What's most notable about these data is that breast cancer mortality is decreasing faster than incidence—meaning that women with breast cancer are living longer. New technologies and improvements in existing treatments are likely contributing to the stronger numbers and improved quality of life for women with breast cancer.

For example, a new technology called the MarginProbe^® System helps surgeons determine if cancer cells are present in the margins of tissue that has been removed. The technology is designed to reduce the rate of second surgeries following lumpectomy. Continued refinements in breast-conserving and reconstructive oncoplastic surgery techniques are also adding to the array of advanced treatment technologies available today. Those options include two types of surgery that go beyond non-invasive options to treat lymphedema, a common side effect of breast cancer. In addition, 3D nipple tattooing along with reconstruction after a mastectomy help offer a sense of depth and detail to the newly reconstructed breast. To learn more about these innovations, click on the buttons beneath the infographic.