I have been thinking and reading a lot about breast cancer lately, so many beautiful women have become a victim of this terrible incurable disease as it has claimed so many lives, I was wondering if there is no way one could avoid it or even detect the symptoms early enough, these questions and more filled my mind as I started to go through published articles on the subject matter.
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Breast Cancer is that cancer type that forms in the cells of the breasts, it is the second most common type of cancer that exist as skin cancer happens to be the first. The name of this cancer usually makes a lot of people think it affects only women but that is not true as it can affect the male gender as well, even if it is more common among the female gender. The good thing is that the survival rates of breast cancer have significantly increased, as the number of deaths linked with the disease is declining gradually and this is a result of more early detection, a better understanding of the disease as well as a more newly personalized approach to an available treatment option.
There are different kinds of breast cancer, and the nature of existing cancer depends on the cell in the breast that has turned into cancer. This deadly disease can begin in any part of the breast as the breast is mainly made up of three parts; the lobules, connective tissues as well as ducts. The lobules are the glands responsible for the production of milk, the ducts and tubes, on the other hand, are responsible for the movement of milk to the nipple, while the connective tissues which are made up of fibrous and fatty tissues are responsible for surrounding and holding everything together firmly, most cases of breast cancer begins in the ducts or the lobules, it can then spread outside of the breast through blood vessels and lymph vessels, when this happens it is said to have metastasized.
There are two most common kinds of breast cancer, we have;
Invasive ductal carcinoma: Here, the cancer cells start in the ducts and then grow continuously outside the ducts into other aspects of the breast tissue. Invasive cancer also has the ability to spread, and metastasize to other parts of the body.
Invasive lobular carcinoma: In this case, cancer begins to grow in the lobules, then it spreads from the lobules into the breast tissues that are close. They as well have the tendency to spread to other parts of the body.
Asides from these common two, other types are;
Ductal carcinoma in situ: This is also referred to as stage 0 breast cancer, it is considered a precancerous stage as the cell have not spread yet beyond the point of milk ducts. At this stage, with prompt care, the situation is still treatable before it becomes invasive and spreads to other tissues.
Lobular carcinoma in situ: This is also a precancerous condition, where there is a noticed abnormal cell in the lobules of your breast which isn't true cancer but can signify a potential breast cancer situation in the future, it is recommended that women who have lobular carcinoma in situ, regularly visit the clinic for a regular examination.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC): This is one of the most difficult cases of breast cancer when it comes to treatment, it was given the name, triple negative because it does not have three of the markers associated with the other existing types of breast cancer, making prognosis and treatments really difficult.
Inflammatory breast cancer: Although very rare, but highly aggressive, it looks like an infection, people who have inflammatory breast cancer would notice swelling, redness, pitting, and dimpling of the breast skin.
Paget's disease of the breast: This type of cancer affects the skin on your nipple and areola.
Angiosarcoma: A rare type of cancer that starts in the cells making up blood lining or lymph vessels.
Phyllodes tumors: It begins in the connective tissue and they are very rare. They are noncancerous in most cases but can become cancerous in some cases.
We have observed and read that, early detection and fast treatment of some kinds of breast cancer would prevent future complications, the next question to be answered is, how do we detect the presence of breast cancer, and what are the signs to watch out for?
In the early stage of breast cancer, we may not notice any symptoms, in some cases, a tumor may be too little to be felt but when checked on a mammogram, the abnormality would be seen. If a tumor can be felt, the first sign to be observed is usually a new lump in the breast that was not there before, although we need to understand that, not all lumps are cancer.
The symptoms of breast cancer varies based on the kind of cancer, most of the symptoms are similar but can also be different in some cases. The most common indication for the occurrence of breast cancer;
- A red or discolored, pitted skin on the breast.
- Swelling in some or all parts of the breast.
- Bloody discharge from the nipple.
- Breast pain.
- Breast lump.
- Nipple discharge is different from breast milk.
- Observed peeling, scaling, or flaking of skin on the nipple of your breast.
- Inverted nipple.
- A lump or swelling under the arm.
When any of these symptoms are observed, speak to your doctor immediately, although having any of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have breast cancer, although a proper test would help confirm if there is or not.
Surviving breast cancer is possible, we have more survivors these days, but survival depends greatly on these factors; the type of cancer you have, the stage of cancer, your age, gender, race, and the growth rate of cancer.
The removal of breast cancer is usually a surgical procedure, different surgical methods are available for use;
- Lupectomy.
- Mastectomy.
- Sentinel node biopsy.
- Axillary lymph node dissection.
- Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy.
- Radiation therapy.
- Chemotherapy.
- Hormone therapy.
Preventing Breast Cancer.
There are certain risk factors that cannot be controlled, but simply doing something will help you stay far away from being a victim of breast cancer.
Lifestyle Those who are obese stand a higher chance of developing breast cancer, watch your weight and eat healthily, and do not take excessive alcohol.
Breast cancer screening: Taking regular tests may not prevent cancer but can help with fast visibility.
Preventive options: You stand a chance of having breast cancer if your parents or other close family members also have it, speak to your doctor about it and follow through with the recommendations prescribed.
Self-examination: Constantly feel, touch, and look at your breast, if you notice any strange difference, visit the hospital instantly.
References.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/3986-breast-cancer
https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-cancer#awareness
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer.html
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/what-is-breast-cancer.html
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37136#level-of-pain
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1947145-overview
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/what-is-breast-cancer.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352470
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Breast cancer can still be cured at a early stage if detected early and start treated
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