How To Deal With Breast Cancer

How To Deal With Breast Cancer

Now a days, Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer among women. This disease occurs when certain cells in the breast become harmful and form a tumor. Breast cancer usually starts in the milk-producing glands of the breast called as lobules or the tube-shaped ducts that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple. Cancer grows in the fatty and fibrous connective tissue of the breast.

Each year, thousands of women die from this breast cancer, because it’s usually late when doctors detect it. For every kind of cancer, early detection is key to a successful recovery. The problem seems to be the lack of information on breast cancer, not having enough knowledge to catch it early.

The main Causes of breast cancer are:

•  Age and gender:  If you are a women and you’re getting older,  you may be at risk of developing breast cancer. The risk begins to climb after age 20, the chance of developing breast cancer in the next decade is 0.6 percent and By the age of 70 years, this figure goes up to 3.84 percent
• Genetics: Having a close blood relative with blood cancer increases the risk of developing the disease. A women whose mothers or sisters had breast cancer then the risk of developing the disease is almost double.
• Genes: There are two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, that greatly increase the risk. Up to 10% of all breast cancers are thought to be inherited and many of these cases are due to defects in one or more genes.
• Breast changes: Women with a personal history of breast lumps, a previous breast cancer, or certain non-cancerous breast conditions  are at greater risk of developing breast cancer as compared to women those who do not have these conditions.
• Race: White women are slightly more possibility to develop breast cancer than Asians, Hispanic and African -American women.
• Hormones: Women with early menstrual periods (before age 12) and late menopause(after age 55) are at greater risk of getting this disease. Research from scientists that the female hormone estrogen may be a factor, because estrogen increases growth  of the cells of the breast.
• Weight: Women who are overweight after menopause are more possibility to get breast cancer. The reason behind this may be due to higher levels of estrogen produced by fat cells after menopause. Overweight boosts blood levels in insulin, which may affect breast cancer risk.
• Radiation exposure: Risk of developing breast cancer in a woman may be higher than normal if she had chest radiation for another disease as a child or young adult.
• Pregnancy history: Women who have their first child after 30 or no children has high risk of breast cancer.

Symptoms

• An area of thickened tissue in the breast or a lump in the breast or in an armpit.
• Irritation of skin.
• Tenderness or pain of the nipple.
• Blood like discharge in nipple.
• Redness or pitting of the skin of the breast; it just like the skin of an orange.
• A rash around or on the nipples.
• Inverted or a sunken nipple.
• The change in the shape and size of the breast.
• Scaling, Flaking and peeling of the skin on the nipple or breast.

Diagnosis:

If you come across any kind of symptoms, hurry to a doctor and get diagnosed. Your medications would start after a couple of regular screening.

Diagnostic test and procedures which helps to confirm a diagnosis.

• Breast exam: Doctor will check the patients breast for lumps and other symptoms. Biopsies, including fine breast biopsy or needle breast biopsy. Biopsies is that a small piece of the tumor is taken and the pathologist (who examines body tissues for abnormal cells or growth) examine it.
• Ultrasound : To find the location of tumor.
• Breast MRI
• Mammogram : An X-ray of your breast to be examined by the doctor.