About the Conference

This unique educational event (to take place on Friday, October 31, 2008) designed to meet the broad needs of survivors, caregivers, health care professionals, and the general public concerned about complex issues related to breast health and women's health, and provide opportunities to network with other survivors, caregivers, nurses, physical therapists, psychologists, and cancer researchers.

Quick Facts

• The conference opens at 8:00 am with over 60 exhibits in the Exhibit Hall
• Sessions begin at 9:00 am and end at 4:15 PM
• The sessions and exhibits are free due to the generous support of The Vermont-New Hampshire Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

Breast Cancer Facts

• Breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among women.
• In Vermont, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women. Each year, in Vermont, approximately 482 breast cancer cases are diagnosed in women.
• While an estimated 40,460 women and 450 men will die from breast cancer in 2007, death rates from breast cancer have steadily declined over the past decade.
• Nearly 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will survive their disease at least 5 years.
• A woman's chance of developing breast cancer increases with age. In the United States, a woman has about a 13.2 percent, or 1 in 8, lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.
• Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among Vermont women. Each year in Vermont, approximately 96 women die from breast cancer.
• From 2000-2004, the median age at diagnosis for cancer of the breast was 61 years of age.
• Breast cancer incidence rates for women in Addison and Chittenden Counties are significantly higher than the U.S.
• Your best chance for surviving breast cancer is detecting it early. When found early, there is a 96% chance for cure.
• 95% of new cases and 98% of breast cancer deaths reported during 1996-2002 occurred in women ages 40 and older.
• Women in their 40s and older should have mammograms every 1 to 2 years. Women who are younger than 40 and have risk factors for breast cancer should ask their health care provider whether to have mammograms and how often to have them.
• For the first time in 20 years, there is a significant decline in the number of U.S. women over the age of 40 who get a regular mammogram to screen for breast cancer. According to a study by the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the overall rate at which women are having mammograms fell four percent between 2000 and 2005.
• Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) followed by local radiation therapy has replaced mastectomy as the preferred surgical approach for treating women with early stage breast cancer.
• In Vermont, 65% of breast cancers are diagnosed at the localized (early) stage.
• Approximately 5 to 10% of breast cancers are due to heredity. The majority of women with breast cancer have no known significant family history or other known risk factors.