Survey: Few Women Know Breast Cancer Risk Increases With Age

Three quarters of all women over the age of 50 do not realize that the risk of breast cancer increases as women age, according to a survey of women in the United Kingdom.

Many women also are not aware of other facts about breast cancer that doctors say could save their lives by leading them to seek treatment early.

"It is crucial that all women -- and especially women over 50 -- understand that the strongest risk factor for breast cancer is age, and that 80 percent of breast cancers occur in women over 50," said Christine Fogg, chief executive of the charity Breast Cancer Care.

Experts say that to increase the likelihood of early detection, women should be "aware" of their breasts and any new changes such as lumps.

But fewer than half of the women in the survey said they were confident they would know which changes were worthy of being reported to their doctor. Another 13 percent mistakenly said they did not think that women were at risk after the age of 70.

"It is very disturbing to see that so many older women are still not aware of the basic facts of cancer and breast awareness," said Emma Pennery of the Royal College of Nursing's Breast Care Forum.

Other Sources: University of Southern California