FACTS ABOUT BREAST CANCER

source: medicinenet.com

Dear friends,

Happy new month lovelies! This month is certainly going to be a wonderful month for us all. Most of us have heard of breast cancer but I doubt we have the details about it in full. Breast cancer is the cancer that develops from the breast tissue. It is the most common type of cancer among women. This form of cancer occurs when breast tissue changes (or mutates) and keeps reproducing. These abnormal cell usually cluster together to form a tumor.

A tumor is malignant (cancerous) when these abnormal cells invade other parts of the breast or spread to other areas of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system which can cause paralysis. Breast cancer usually starts in the milk-producing glands of the breast (called labules) or the tube shaped ducts that carry milk from the labules to the nipple. Less often, cancer begins in the fatty and fibrous connective tissue of the breast.

CAUSES OF BREAST CANCER

  Breast cancer is caused by a genetic mutation in the DNA of breast cancer cells.

RISK FACTORS FOR BREAST CANCER

• Age and gender
• Family history: having a close blood relative with breast cancer increases the risk of developing the disease 
•  A breast cancer mutation 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, especially the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes 
•   Weight 
•  Alcohol consumption 
•  DES exposure: women who were given the now-banned drug diethylstilbestrol to prevent miscarriage decades ago face a slightly increased risk of breast cancer, as do their daughters.

SYMPTOMS

Breast cancer symptoms vary from person to person. Knowing what your breast normally look or feel like may help you recognize possible signs and symptoms that are not common to you. If any alteration is noticed, consult your doctor.

NOTE

An individual can have breast cancer without feeling anything out of the ordinary; but if you find an area of thickening breast tissue, a lump in your breast (usually painless, but not always) or an enlarged underarm lymph node, consult your doctor.

STAGES OF BREAST CANCER

• Stage 0 breast cancers (also called pre-cancer): this is the earliest stage of breast cancer. It involves abnormal cells that have not spread into breast tissue from the ducts or lobules where they began. 
•  Stage 1 breast cancer: this is an invasive cancer meaning it is invading healthy breast tissue but it has not spread outside the breast.
• Stage 2 breast cancer: at stage 2, breast cancer is growing but is only in the breast or nearby lymph nodes. This stage has two categories; 2A and 2B. 
•  Stage 3 breast cancer: stage 3 breast cancer is an advanced cancer. It’s in the lymph nodes but has spread to other organs. Thus stage is divided into three categories, 3A, 3B and 3C, based on the size of the tumor and how many and which lymph nodes are involved.
• Stage 4 breast cancer: at stage 4, breast cancer has travelled to distant sites in the body, often the bones, liver, brain or lungs. This is called metastatic breast cancer.

PREVENTION

• Eat Your Fruits & Vegetables – and Avoid Too Much Alcohol 
• Don’t Smoke
• Limit your alcohol intake
• Be Physically Active
• Breast feed your baby: Breastfeeding for a total of one year or more (combined for all children) lowers the risk of breast cancer. It also has great health benefits for the child
• Avoid Birth Control Pills, Particularly After Age 35
• Avoid Post-Menopausal Hormones
• Keep Weight in Check: Being overweight can increase the risk of many different cancers, including breast cancer, especially after menopause
• Breast self-examination

With this information, I hope you have an insight of what breast cancer is. We can read more about the topic, ask questions, drop all myths, stop self-medication and consult your doctor. Don’t forget, early detection is vital.