Breast cancer is a major health issues for women. For over 3600 years, cancer has affected women's lives immeasurably. According papyrus Edwin Smith, awareness of breast cancer has been well established since 1600 BC in Egypt, becoming the oldest form of cancer known to man. All we need is a sound knowledge of cancer signs and determination to go through the notice process.
What causes breast cancer?
Approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with this cancer in life. The risk of contracting cancer becomes larger as a person ages. Advanced cancer stages are commonly found in women fifty and older. Approximately thirty percent of women with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer, ovarian, uterine and ovarian cancer.
Women with these genetic defects are at risk for breast cancer than eighty percent. Those who started menstruating before the age of twelve or went through menopause after age fifty-five have a higher risk of breast cancer.
Women who never had children or have given birth only after thirty years of age are also at increased risk of breast cancer.
Other risk factors include alcohol, obesity, hormone replacement therapy for menopause to prevent the use of diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent abortion and radiation.
Interestingly, there is no evidence linking the use of breast implants, bras frames antiperspirants and pesticides increase the risk of cancer.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Have regular breast exams are important in the detection of cancerous tumors because in the early stages, breast cancer may have no symptoms at all. How cancer develops women may experience one or a combination of the following.
A hard ball painless with irregular edges in the breast area or armpit.
Noticeable change in the size, shape, texture and breast and nipple sensation.
For women who are at advanced stages of breast cancer, symptoms may include bone pain, pain and discomfort in the chest area, skin ulcers on the breast or underarm, weight loss, swelling and an arm.
How to prevent breast cancer?
For some risk factors are uncontrollable, consciousness is the most important step in the fight against the disease. In general, a healthy diet and lifestyle reduces the risk of getting cancer of a person. Early detection of cancer increases the cure rate and therefore breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination and mammography are highly recommended.
Breast MRI should also be done for women who have risk factors have a higher breast cancer.
Some drugs, such as tamoxifen, are approved by the USDA for cancer prevention in women aged thirty to five years or more. Preventive prophylactic mastectomy, or surgical removal of the breast, it is advisable for those who have had a breast removed and for those who are identified genetic mutations that increase the risk of tumors.
Examinations and tests that are involved in breast cancer detection?
Your doctor will gather information from your symptoms and risk factors. To further confirm the diagnostic test can be performed, including mammography, breast MRI, CT and PET scan to identify the size, shape and location of the breast tumor. Breast ultrasound is performed to determine if the mass is solid or filled with fluid. Aspiration needle biopsy and sentinel lymph node is for further examination laboratory of a lump in the breast and nearby lymph nodes.
How can we classify breast cancer?
After the positive diagnosis of breast cancer, other tests will be performed to verify the extent of the cancer. This is called breast cancer staging. This helps doctors identify treatment methods necessary and give the patient a prognosis.
Breast cancer stage ranges from zero to four. When cancer has not spread is called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The cancer can be invasive or noninvasive, depending on the degree of progression of cancer.
A combination of treatments is commonly received by women, which differs from the stage of the cancer. For women with breast cancer fourth stage, the treatment aims to extend the patient's life as stage four cancer can be treated.
How breast cancer is treated?
Cancer treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer, and their sensitivity to certain hormones. Cancer is also monitored by the overproduction of the HER2 gene.
Breast cancer treatments generally include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Surgical removal of the cancerous tissue is also expected to effectively remove breast lumps. Radiation therapy is the use of high energy X-rays to destroy cancerous tissue.
Treatments such as hormone therapy and targeted therapy can also be done to avoid possible metastases and stop certain hormones feed cancer growth. Some examples include hormone therapy drugs such as tamoxifen and exemestane, which are used to block the effects of estrogen and reduce the development of cancer. Drugs such as trastuzumab plus Herceptin can be used as a live form of therapy in women with breast cancer led positive HER2 IV.
There are a number of medical advances that allow patients to live a longer life, more active after cancer treatment. Visit your doctor and find out more about cancer and learn how to breast self-examination is done.
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