Things to Know About Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a disease that can send chills up a womans spine, but men are not totally immune from it.The breast is composed of a collection of glands and fatty tissue which lies between the skin and chest wall. Inside a womans breast, these glands produce milk after the birth of a baby.These glands are composed of somewhere between 1520 lobes each. Special ducts (tubelike structures) serve to transfer the milk from the glands to the nipple. As milk is produced and fills the breast, the glands and ducts enlarge. Fatty tissue in the breast is the primary factor determining the size and shape of the breast. At times, tumors can form in the breast which may be cancerous.

A collection of cells prone to abnormal growth tendencies, creating an out of control population comprise a tumor. A tumor that is incapable of spreading through the body is referred to as benign, or noncancerous. A tumor diagnosed as malignant is cancerous and capable of spreading throughout the body. When a malignant tumor is discovered in the breast, the patient is told she has breast cancer. The first place cancer cells are found in the breast is in the glands or ducts; however, they have been known to develop in other areas as well. Cancer of the breast is the most common cancer diagnosis for women of North America and Europe. The number of cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year exceeds 200,000. The most deadly form of cancer for American women is lung cancer, with breast cancer running a close second.

Just because a woman develops breast cancer, it does not mean the disease will take her life. The chance of a woman developing breast cancer is 1 in 8; but her chance of dying from it is 1 in 28. The largest risk for a woman to develop breast cancer is her age. A womans risk for breast cancer increases through the years. Another influence for a woman is if she had her first menstrual cycle at a young age. Other factors to consider regarding a womans risk include: the possibility of mutations on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, did anyone in the womans family history develop breast cancer and how old was she at the time of her first pregnancy? A woman with breast cancer in her family history is advised to undergo genetic testing as 310% of breast cancers can be related to gene mutations. A woman can help reduce her risk of breast cancer if she will maintain a healthy weight, limit her alcohol consumption to no more than five drinks per week and exercise regularly. It is believed a woman can also lower her risks if she bears her first child before the age of 30, breastfeeds the baby and avoids longterm hormone replacement. Finally, any woman with a high risk of developing breast cancer might consider discussing with her doctor the use of a drug called Tamoxifen. Using this drug for a period of five years has been shown to help reduce a womans risk of developing a tumor by 50%.

With early detection, a woman stands a greater chance of surviving and curing breast cancer. Incorporating selfexams, clinical exams and mammograms into her healthcare routine increases a womans chances for early detection. {{{Between the ages of 2039, a woman should undergo a clinical exam every three years. | A woman between the ages of 20 and 39 is advised to undergo a clinical exam once every three years. | A clinical exam should be part of a womans health care every three years between the ages of 20 and 39. | Between the ages of 2039, women are advised to have a clinical exam once every three years

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