Things To Know About Breast Cancer

By Author: Phillip Dye
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Breast cancer is a disease that can send chills up a womans spine, but men are not totally immune from it. A collection of glands and fatty tissues lying between the chest wall and skin compose the breast. These glands within a womans breast begin to produce milk after the birth of a baby. 1520 lobes compose each gland. The milk is transferred to the nipple through tubes, called ducts. The size of the ducts and glands enlarge as the breast fills with milk. The fatty tissue within the breast is the key component in determining size and shape. Tumors, which can sometimes grow in the breast, have the potential of being cancerous.

A collection of cells prone to abnormal growth tendencies, creating an out of control population comprise a tumor. Benign tumors are noncancerous and incapable of spreading through the body. Tumors with the ability to spread through the body are referred to as malignant, or cancerous. The term breast cancer is used when malignant tumors are found within the breast. Cancer cells normally develop in the ducts or glands; however, it is possible for them to appear in any portion of the breast. ...
... The most common form of cancer diagnosed in the women of Europe and North America is breast cancer. Each year, more than 200,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed. Breast cancer is the second most deadly form of cancer for American women, with lung cancer being first.

Just because a woman develops breast cancer, it does not mean the disease will take her life. Women have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer, but a 1 in 28 chance of dying from it. The greatest risk factor concerning breast cancer is a womans age. Older women have a greater chance of developing breast cancer than younger women. If she had her first menstrual period at a young age, this will influence her risk. Other factors also figure in, such as her age at the time of her first pregnancy; a history of breast cancer in her family and BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations 310% of breast cancers are related to gene mutations, so if a woman knows there is breast cancer in her family, she is advised to undergo genetic testing as a precaution. By maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and limiting alcohol consumption to no more than five drinks per week, a woman can lower her risk of developing breast cancer. It is also thought that if a woman has her first baby before age 30 and nurses it, plus limits the use of hormone replacement at menopause, she helps lower her chance of developing breast cancer. A final thought if a woman shows to have a high risk of breast cancer, she should discuss the use of a drug called Tamoxifen with her doctor. By using this drug for a period of five years, it has been shown a woman stands a chance of reducing her risk of developing a tumor by 50%.

With early detection, a woman stands a greater chance of surviving and curing breast cancer. Chances of early detection are greatly increased through the use of selfexams, clinical exams and mammograms. {{{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