Breast Cancer, Causes of Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Symptoms, Diagnosis and Teatment

Causes of breast cancer
Breast Cancer Symptoms
Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Breast Cancer Treatment

The abnormal cells that have patterns of abnormal growth are called cancer. The cancer developing in breast tissues is called breast cancer. Lobules or glands, milk ducts, connective tissues and fat are the four structures that compose a woman breast.. More then 80 per cent of breast cancer occurs in these ducts, known as ductal cancer. Lobular cancer is the one that develops in lobules, comprised of about 10 to 15 per cent of breast cancer cases. Inflammatory breast cancer, phyllodes tumor , medullary cancer, angiosarcoma , mucinous (colloid) carcinoma , mixed tumors, and Paget's disease are the other less common types of breast cancer. Pre-cancerous changes, known as non-invasive or in-situ, are quite frequent.

Ductal carcinoma in situ is the in-situ changes in ducts can be diagnosed by routine mammography. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is the in-situ changes occurring in lobules. Infiltrating cancer is the cancer that has spread in the surroundings. Infiltrating ductal carcinomas is the cancer that spreads from the ducts into the nearby areas. Infiltrating lobular carcinomas is the cancer that comes from lobules into the adjacent areas. Metastasis is the most dangerous cancer. It involves the spread of cancer from the affected place to the distant areas. The most common type of it is the reaching out of breast cancer to the (same side as of the cancer) lymph nodes under the arm or the collar bone.

Breast cancer is usually associated with woman but astonishingly one per cent of breast cancer infects men. In 2007, estimates revealed that 2030 men in United States will have enveloping breast cancer. With the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Following the cancer of lungs, it is the second leading cause of death by cancer in women.

In 2007, the American Cancer Society estimated that among the women of United States 178480 new cases of invasive breast cancer would be diagnosed where 62030 new cases of non-invasive breast cancers. About one in eight or about 13 per cent woman has a lifetime danger of developing invasive breast cancer. With the passage of time, the death rate due to cancer is decreasing due to increased awareness and screening and better treatments

How the breast cancer happens? Or Causes of breast cancer

There are commonly two risk factors: age and sex. Woman are more vulnerable to develop breast cancer where the risk increases with increasing age. As compared to the African women in America, the white women are more vulnerable to suffer from breast cancer. Any woman who has caner in one breast is more likely to develop cancer in the other breast. Let us review other significant causes of breast cancer.

Genetic Causes

Family has been an important factor to determine the risk of cancer in generations to come. Not only maternal but also paternal relatives are important. The severity increases if the relative has breast cancer at an early age or in both breasts and in close relative. Breast cancer in males increases the risk factor of all females associated with him. Having relatives who have suffered from breast cancer and ovarian cancer makes the woman more vulnerable. It is estimated that about five to 10 per cent of breast cancer is hereditary.

Lifestyle and Dietary Causes

Breast cancer is observed more commonly in countries where fat intake is high. Over-weight post-menopausal women are more likely to develop one. The frequent use of alcohol (two to five alcoholic beverages per day) increases the risk to one and half times. Regular exercise can prove helpful in reducing the damage.

Hormonal Causes

Women whose periods start at an early age (11 or below) and/or those who experience a late (55 or above) menopause have higher risk of getting infected. To be older at the age of first menstrual period and younger at the time of menopause reduces the risks of getting breast cancer. To have a child before the age of 30 is also a remedy, where having no children increases the risk factor.

Benign Breast Disease

Fibrocystic breast changes are nothing new. Fibrocystic breasts are swelling with tissue getting thicker. They are related with breast discomfort, more likely right before periods. The condition leads not to breast cancer but other types of benign breast changes like biopsy as proliferative or hyperplastic, do.

Environmental Causes

The exposure to radiation treatment increases the chances of developing breast cancer. Those women who take radiation therapy on the upper part of their bodies (such as for Hodgkin disease) are more vulnerable to have cancer in their breasts.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

There are no symptoms of early breast cancer. It does not pain. By finding abnormal mammography or lumps (that does not go away) in breasts. Lump in armpit or above the collar bone is also a symptom. Changes in skin of the breast, nipple inversion and breast discharge are other signs.

It is not necessary that all lumps on breast are cancerous however close examination of all lumps is required.
Breast discharge is not a symptom of cancer but if it is bloody and from only one breast. However, it is healthy to properly and regularly examine any kind of discharge.
A common alternative of normal nipples is nipple inversion and any new development is of concern.
Redness, change in the color and wrinkling on breast are signs of not only skin diseases but also of breast cancer.

Detecting the Breast Cancer - Breast Cancer Diagnosis

To cure the breast cancer involves a number of steps from examining by mammography to biopsy. The proper examination of breast includes visual inspection and palpation of armpits, breasts and areas around collar bone. Not only palpation but also feeling the skin getting thick is important.

Mammography

The X-rays that may help in determining the nature of lump are known as Mammograms. Mammograms are prescribed for screening to find early cancer. The result is not 100 per cent reliable but helps in defining whether the lump is dangerous or not. It is estimated that mammograms cannot detect from 10 to 15 per cent of breast cancers.

Ultrasound

It is done to evaluate a lump further. It produces a picture of the breast’s inner surface. It helps in evaluating whether the lump is filled with solid or liquid (cystic). It helps in guiding whether biopsy or removal of the fluid is a remedy.

MRI

It helps in extending the findings of mammography or/and ultrasound. It is not carried out in routine cases, however it is suggested in special cases.

Biopsy

The best and most reliable method to diagnose breast cancer is biopsy. It involves the detachment of a small piece of tissue from the affected area and testing it by a pathologist to define the presence of cancer.

Breast Cancer Treatment

The foundational therapy for breast cancer is surgery. The size and situation of tumor, tumor’s type, patient’s health and personal choice are those factors that help in defining the type of surgery that will be used. Breast-sparing surgery is also possible. The size of tumor, affected parts of breast, number of lumps and whether the cancer has metastasized to other parts are the basis of staging. Cancer can be termed as noninvasive if it has not reached to other parts of the breast. In case it is spreading in the areas around then it is invasive. It has stages from 0 to IV.

The noninvasive breast cancer is the Stage 0 that is carcinoma in situ with no affected lymph nodes or metastasis. It is the most favorable stage to tackle the cancer.
Cancer spread in less than two centimeter (3/4) in diameter and reaching out of the breast is Stage I.
The cancer than is small in size but has spread to the lymph nodes in armpit. It also includes the cancer that is larger in size but has not reached out to the lymph in armpit.
Stage III involves cancer of larger size (greater than five centimeter with the involvement of greater lymph node and inflammation.
Stage IV is metastatic breast cancer: a tumor of any size or type that has metastasized to another part of the body. This is the least favorable stage.

Since 1990, advance therapy coupled with awareness on breast cancer has helped in decreasing the death rate of patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Noninvasive cancers are highly curable where it is worth remembering that breast cancer is treatable if the tumor is detected earlier.