Breast Cancer- Overview, Cause, Symptoms And Treatment

Overview:

These days many ladies are suffering from the problem of breast cancer, as initially the symptoms are not visible. The signs might include lumps in breasts and abnormal mammogram. There are stages of the breast cancer and it can be cured in its initial stages with the number of treatments. Breast cancer is observed in both men and women.

As cancer is caused due the excess growth of cancerous cells, the groups of cells is termed as tumour. Tumour is not called as cancer, it can be malignant or pre-malignant but cancer is for sure malignant. Breast cancer develops in the breast tissue which is made of glands that produce milk.

Causes:

There is no fixed cause known for developing breast cancer. However there are few factors that can collectively cause breast cancer.

Age: Age is a factor on which the getting a risk of cancer depends. As an individual becomes old in age, he/she develops the high risk of getting a cancer.

Genes: Heredity is also one of the causes of getting a breast cancer. If any of your family member id diagnosed with the breast cancer this increases the chance of developing the breast cancer.

Early Menopause: If your menses starts early in age and menopause also occur early, this situation might develop breast cancer.

Radioactivity: If an individual gets exposed to radioactive rays the chances of developing a breast cancer increases. The radioactive rays are carcinogenic and can be dangerous.

Some of the therapies are also responsible for causing breast cancer i.e. hormone replacement therapy. In chemical factories, workers are exposed to chemicals which are cancer causing and thus increases the risk of getting a cancer.

If you are taking a chance of pregnancy very late, it might be the cause of breast cancer.

Symptoms:

In the initial stages no symptom is observed, but when the tumour starts growing the following effects are observed:

The lumps are observed in armpit and that continues to be there even after the menstrual cycle. Generally, this is the first symptom that is observed. These lumps are painless and some of them may give prickly sensation.

A considerable flattening is observed on the breasts which shows it’s a tumour but it cannot be felt.

The colour, size, texture and temperature change in the breasts shows the chances of getting a breast cancer. Skin becomes reddish and pitted which is the sign of developing stage of cancer.

The change in nipples are also seen, they cause itching, develop burning sensation and ulceration. When a rash is developed on nipples, it is a symptom of Paget’s disease which is caused along with breast cancer. A discharge is observed unusually from the nipples, it can be of any colour or it can be bloody as well.

Types Of A Breast Cancer:

Invasive: Invasive breast cancers are severe as they are spread deep in the breasts beyond the glands that make milk and milk ducts. Also, they develop cancer in other breast as well.

Nipple’s Paget’s disease: This is a very rare type of breast cancer. It involves skin of the nipples and the circles that are present around it.

Recurrence: In few cases, it was observed that even after the treatment the breast cancer is re-occurred. If you want to prevent it you need to consult the doctor every month to check whether you have developed the cancer.

Breast Cancer In Ladies: Breast cancer is developed generally after the menopause in ladies. It is not necessary; it can strike early as well.

Cancer In Pregnancy: Breast cancer during pregnancy is rarely observed but one might develop it. It has to be handled carefully to prevent further issues in pregnancy.

Breast Cancers In Males: Women are the major patients of the breast cancer but men can also develop the breast cancer.

Inflammatory Cancer: In this type of cancer, the breasts appear to be swollen and reddened. It is not always that cancer produces lumps.

Diagnosis:

With the help of above symptoms the breast cancer can be identified. Screening mammography has become successful in detecting breast cancer before it could cause any symptoms and other problems.

When any woman becomes 20 in age, she should do her mammography to control your health. Mammograms are the best way to detect the breast cancers, and it has some limitations and also mammograms can miss out the cancer sometimes.

After every 3 years, there is a diagnosis method called as CBE i.e. Clinical Breast Exam which is very helpful for women to prevent if you have any abnormal cells. One has to consider the risk related to it and for that consultation of a health professional is important.

With the help of ultra-sonography the lumps are filled with what factors can be detected to carry out the further investigation.

Treatments:

Surgery: Most of the women having breast cancer go for surgical methods. The surgery can be of two types: mastectomy and breast conserving.

Breast conserving surgery includes the removal of part which is diagnosed to have a tumour.  Similar is the case with ‘lumpectomy’. In mastectomy, the tissues of the breasts are removed totally. For immediate reformation of the tissues, skin sparing mastectomy is preferred.

Radical mastectomy: In this method, breasts, muscles in chest wall and axillary lymph nodes are removed. There is latest technology of radical mastectomy is available.

Chemotherapy: With the help of chemical rays the cells that cause cancers and tumours are destroyed, which lessens the risk of breast cancer.

Prevention:

There is no such effective way with which breast cancer can be prevented. However, those women who have family history should go for regular check-ups to prevent the risk of getting cancer. The medications such as tamoxifen and raloxifene can prevent the breast cancer but these should be consumed after proper consultation. Aromatase inhibitors are also used to prevent the breast cancer.

Home Remedies:

Food also play an important role in preventing the breast cancer; foods such as broccoli, green tea, garlic, grapes, wheatgrass, vitamin D, calcium and lignans can be the best home remedies for breast cancer. These food stuffs cannot cure cancer, but give you immunity to fight against the disease to some extent. Maintaining right lifestyle can keep you healthy.

Precautions:

Women who are sufferers of the breast cancer should keep their diet low in fats. Also, the consumption of the alcohol should be kept to the minimum. Over-weight can cause breast cancer, so it is necessary to maintain the weight as well. Go for regular check-ups and take of yourself.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor:

There are many questions that you can ask to your doctor if you feel that you have developed a breast cancer. Ask for proper explanation and the cause of it. Also, consult him for the treatments and precautions to be taken if you have developed the cancer.

Special Note:

Everything is curable, so try to maintain the lifestyle healthy and be positive. Follow the treatments and medications prescribed by your doctor to avoid getting serious health issues.