NaPodPoMo 2024 – Day 4 – Some Sobering Statistics

Welcome back to RadicalRx, where we talk about taking radical ownership of our health and well-being. Today, we’re going to dig into some statistics around breast cancer, especially as it impacts veterans.

And I’m gonna share a little about a new support space we’re creating within RadicalRx that’s very near and dear to my heart.

Now, breast cancer is something I talk about often because it’s part of my own journey, but RadicalRx is for anyone who’s ready to make transformative changes in their health. We’re all about empowering each of you to take charge, no matter what your health background may be.

So let’s start with the broader picture. Each year in the U.S., approximately three hundred thousand new breast cancer cases are diagnosed, and worldwide, it impacts around two-point-three million women. That’s a huge number of people navigating this disease. For the general population, the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is about thirteen percent, or one in eight women.

But here’s where it gets particularly personal for me—as a veteran.

Studies suggest that female veterans have an even higher risk, about twenty to forty percent higher than the general population. This elevated risk can depend on factors like when you served, where you were deployed, specific exposures during service, and how long you were in the military.

And let’s not forget that men can develop breast cancer too, though it’s rarer. Male veterans are actually diagnosed at a slightly higher rate.