Prevention of breast cancer

Considerable progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms of breast tumor growth and progression. Application of effective treatment practices has resulted in significant decreases in morbidity and mortality [65]. In spite of this, the American Cancer Society estimates that in 2003, about 211,300 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the USA, and that 39,800 women will die from the disease [66]. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. On a global scale, it is estimated that breast cancer will affect five million women worldwide over the next decade, and the incidence of the disease is increasing at an average of about 1% per year in industrialized countries and at a greater rate in developing countries [9, 93]. Clearly a strategy not only to treat, but also to prevent breast cancer is required to control the disease. This chapter will review available strategies for breast cancer risk reduction, ranging from surgery to chemopreventive agents that are available today and those under investigation.