Breast Cancer

What Is Breast Cancer ?

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women. In the United States, approximately 180000 women develop each year. The disease can also occur in men, although breast cancer in humans is less than 1 in 100 cases. The risk increases with age, doubling every 10 years.

The disease is most often diagnosed in women over 50 years. Very few women under the age of 30 develop it. Despite the increase in the incidence, there has been a slight decrease in the number of deaths in recent years, and only about one fifth of cases are fatal. This reduction is due to improvements in treatment and the increased use of mammography screening, which means that the tumors can be detected earlier, when they often respond well to treatment.

Screening can reduce the number of deaths among women over the age of 50 until 4 to 10. In the United States, many doctors recommend that women over the age of 40 have a mammogram every 1-2 years, and each year more than 50 years. A cancerous tumor may first develop in the breast lobules (the structures in the chest that produce milk). A tumor that originates in the milk can lead to conduct Paget \ 'disease in the chest. The tumors can spread to other organs, such as the lungs or liver, before being detected.

It is a cancer that originates in the breast tissue of women and men. It can be spread to the lymph nodes under the arm before diagnosis. With advanced disease, metastases can be seen in many organs, including bone, brain, lung, liver and skin.

Causes.

The underlying cause of the majority is not clear. However, some risk factors have been identified, many of which suggest that women in the estrogen is an important factor in the development and progress of the disease. We know that women who have their first menstrual period before age 11 or who have a late menopause, seems to be at increased risk of developing cancer, probably because they are exposed to high levels estrogen for longer. The number of menstrual cycles before the first pregnancy is also important. And a woman who has her first child before 20 years of opportunity. Breastfeeding is thought to have a protective effect.

Risk factors for its development include :-

• Early onset of rules or late menopause.
• First pregnancy after 30 years.
• Family history of the disease.
• The radiation exposure.
  

Possible risk factors include :-

• Diet rich in fats.
• Excessifs alcohol.
• Estrogen replacement therapy.
• Oral contraceptives.

Symptoms.

It is usually manifested as pain everywhere lump in the breast or under the arm. Occasionally, the symptoms can be more subtle, such as :-

• An inverted nipple.
• Bloody nipple discharge.
• Changes in the skin overlying the breast that looks like the skin of an orange.

Diagnosis.

Any pain or pieces felt on the physical examination of a woman or her doctor and any pieces found on mammography (x-ray) should be planned for biopsy. Grumeaux seen on mammography, but not visible on the review can be located by ultrasound or a mammogram for biopsy.

If the diagnosis of its implementation, staging tests include :-

• Hepatic.
• Alcalines phosphates test to check for bone diseases.
• Pulmonary Radiography (x-ray).
• Bone Scan (Nuclear Medicine).

Complications.
Complications of it are in the fields of metastasis :-

• Metastasio to bone can cause pain, bone fractures or high levels of calcium in the blood.
• Metastases to the brain or spinal cord can cause seizures, headaches, weakness, numbness or confusion.
• Metastases in the lungs can cause difficulty in breathing, chest pain or swelling of the face and neck.

Treatments.

1. Treating Self: A balanced diet should be maintained. Once the diagnosis is made it all estrogen medications should be stopped, including the contraceptive pill.
2. Medical treatment: Many women will need additional medications after surgery to prevent it from returning. Either tamoxifen (a hormonal pill), or chemotherapy (intravenous medication) can be recommended, depending on the type of tumor. More advanced cases is also treated with chemotherapy or hormonal therapy.
3. Surgical treatment: Two initial substitution treatment are :-

• From breast with lymph node dissection, followed by radiotherapy to the chest.
• Mastectomy (mastectomy or partial mastectomy, radical change)

Prevention.

Early detection thereof by the beast and self-examination regular mammography screening (radiography) is important. A low-fat diet and moderate alcohol intake may be important. Some researchers theorize that exercise for preadolescent girls can be useful because it delays the age of onset of menstruation.