breastcancer
Posted by admin | Posted in Cancer | Posted on 11-06-2009-05-2008
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Directly you hear the word breast cancer, the picture of a female patient is conjured up. This disease is not confined to females. This is known to afflict men rarely as well. Cancer that starts in tissues of the breast in males and females is commonly known as breast cancer which is the second most common cancer type in the world.
The first sign of breast cancer is a lump or a mass in the underarm or breast area that feels different to the touch. Apart from that, signs of enlargement of the breast or part of it, change in the form and size of the breast, skin inflammation or dimpling, turning inward of the nipple and flow of fluid other than milk from the breast. It pays to be cognizant of these signs for early detection of cancer.
At the first sign of breast cancer, the prudent thing to do is to consult a doctor. Your doctor will feel your breasts for lumps or any suspect growth. Harmless growth feel differently from harmful cancer-causing lumps. Any doubts with regard to his examination will be sorted out with the help of tests such as MRI scan, mammography test, ultrasound scan or a biopsy. Provided that you are tested positive, he will order more lab tests so that they will assist him in learning more about your disease and its course of therapy.
Various therapy methods are available for breast cancer. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and biological therapy are such treatments. Out of these, surgery and radiation are local therapies. The rest is known as systemic treatments. The former removes or destroys the cancer in the breast whilst the latter enters the blood stream and controls or destroys the cancer.
There are many risk factors associated with breast cancer. If you are a female, the chances of contracting this disease is great as a females breast cells are open to hormones like estrogen and progesterone at all times. As you grow old, the risks grow too. Since breast cancer is hereditary, the chances of your getting it are higher if someone of your family has had it before than in families where no one has ever been afflicted with it.
Breast cancer is supposed to be the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the world. This goes to show the gravity of this disease. However, its comforting to know that billions of dollars are spent yearly on research work to find out the causes and treatments of it.
