Breast Cancer Definition: A malignant (cancerous) cells growth that begins in the tissues of the
Breast is called breast cancer.
Statistics of Breast Cancer: Breast
Cancer is the most common cancer among women. American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007 about 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed and 40,460 died among women in the United States. At this time there are slightly over 2 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Women living in North America have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death by cancer in women. Just 1% breast cancer occurs in men.
Causes: The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown. However, there are some risk factors that are linked to breast cancer.
Risk Factors: · Family history of breast cancer.
· Being over 50 years of age.
· Abnormal breast
biopsy · Abnormal breast biopsy.
· Breast radiation.
· Smoking.
· Genetics factor
· Personal history of breast cancer.
· Birth control pills.
· Use of alcohol.
Signs and Symptoms: ·A lump (mass) located in the breast.
·Swelling or thickness of the breast.
·Breast is warm to the touch.
·Infection or inflammation of breast.
·Pain or tenderness in the breast and/or under arm area.
·Scaling or redness of the skin on the breast.
·Burning, itching or scaling of nipple.
(
Note: These symptoms may also be caused by other conditions. Please consult your doctor if you are experiencing any/all of the above).
Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: Doctor typically starts by asking about patient medical history and giving a physical exam. If patient medical history and physical exam suggest the need for further testing, doctor may use different types of tests and procedures to help rule out or diagnose disease. The main types of tests and procedures used to diagnose breast cancer and its stage or type are,
· Breast self-examination (BSE).
· Clinical breast exam.
· Mammogram.
· Computer-aided detection (CAD).
· Digital mammography.
· Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
· Ductal lavage.
· Breast ultrasound (ultrasonography).
· Molecular breast imaging (MBI).
· Ultrasound.
· Fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
· Core needle biopsy.
· Stereotactic biopsy.
· Surgical biopsy.
· Wire localization.
Stages of Breast Cancer: Stage 1: The
tumor (cancerous) is not more than 2 cm. The cancer has not spread.
Stage 2: The tumor (cancerous) is more than 2 cm but less than 5 cm and cancer has not spread anywhere else.
Stage 3: The tumor (cancerous) is more than 5 cm but has not further spread.
Stage 4: The tumor (cancerous) can be any size and the cancer has spread to the other parts of the body.
Treatment for Bladder Cancer: Breast cancer can be successfully treated in early stages.
Treatment options for breast cancer depend on the following;
· Stage of the cancer.
· Size and location of the tumor.
· Medical history of the patient.
The major types of treatment used to treat breast cancer are,
· Chemotherapy
· Radiotherapy
· Chemoradiotherapy
· Surgery
· Hormone therapy
· Biotherapy
(
Note: Cancer specialist can give you more information)
More abstracts about the Breast Cancer