Breast cancer is
cancer in which breast cells begin to grow without control. The growing number
of cells together forms a tumor which can be felt as a lump or change in the
shape of a breast. Breast cancer in human can begin in any area of the breast.
In the human body, a breast is used for feeding baby in women, and it is made
up of three parts: ducts, lobules, and connective tissues. All three and linked
to each other the lobules work to produce milk, the ducts are the tubes which
carry milk all the way to the nipple, and the connective tissue holds and
surrounds everything together. Commonly breast cancer occurs in the lobules or
ducts in a breast.
The most common
types of breast cancer are-
- Invasive
ductal carcinoma- In
this cancer, cells generally grow in the outside area of the duct tubes
later in other areas of the breast tissue. In invasive ductal carcinoma
cells also metastasize or spread, to other areas of the body.
- Invasive
lobular carcinoma- In
lobular carcinoma cells spread only from the lobules to the tissues that
are nearby.
There are some other
less known types of breast cancer, like External medullary, Paget’ disease,
mucinous, and inflammatory cancer.
Some of the common
symptoms and signs of having breast cancer:
- A
breast thickening or lump which feels and appears different from the other
surrounding tissue.
- Changes
to the color, texture of the skin in the breast area, like dimpling
- Change
in the appearance, shape, size of the breast
- Scaling,
peeling, flaking or crusting of the skin surrounding the breast skin or
the nipple
- Pitting or redness of the skin near the breast, like an orange
Stages of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer in a
breast starts from the innermost lining of the lobules or the ducts which
produce and supply milk for breastfeeding. From there, those cancer cells
multiply uncontrollably and spread to other areas of the body. In breast cancer,
it is difficult to state one risk factor behind the cause as some Risk Factors of Breast Cancer can be because of influence, and others cannot be
defined and modified.
Below are some of
the risk factors:
- Age- As the age of a person increases the chances
of having breast cancer also increases.
- Genetics- If anyone in the family has a history of
breast cancer, the risk of breast cancer increases. In most cases, women
who have the BRCA1 and 2 genes have more chances of having or developing
breast cancer.
- Dense
& thick breast tissue- Women with higher density and thick breast tissue are likely
to have breast cancer.
- Alcohol
consumption- Regular and
excessive alcohol consumption plays a big role. According to researches,
women who consume more than 5 drinks a day generally have a higher risk of
breast cancer.
- Hormone changes and treatment- Intake of birth control pills and use of hormone replacement medication have a strong connection to breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Treatments Stages
Breast Cancer In Women is
staged as per the tumor size and how much it is spread in other parts of the
body. There are different staging categories of breast cancer.
Stage 0: Initial stage of breast cancer known as DCIS (ductal carcinoma
in situ), in this cell are limited and are present in the duct and have not yet
enter into the surrounding tissues.
Treatment- The treatment options for non-invasive tumors are different from
the treatment approaches of invasive cancer. Generally, patients with stage 0
breast cancer are treated with radiation and hormone therapy depending upon the
state.
Stage I: Just like stage 0 it is at the initial stage, the tumor in the
breast is up to 1.5 cm, and it has not yet entered and affected lymph nodes.
Stage II: The size of the tumor is up to 2 cm and has slowly started to
spread and affect lymph nodes.
Stage III: In this tumor crosses up to 5 cm, and it has spread all across
the lymph nodes.
Treatment for stages I to III
Most people patients
on stage I to III of breast cancer usually treated with surgeries, radiation,
hormone, combination, or chemotherapy. In some cases, patients are either
before or right after surgery are kept drug therapies.
Stage IV: This is the last stage of breast cancer as in this stage, it has
extended to other organs of the body like the liver, lungs, or brain.
Treatment for IV:
Breast cancer
treatment stage changes beyond stage III as spreads beyond breast in other
parts and organs of the body. The treatment for stage IV includes systemic
therapy followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Conclusion
Everything Health says an
individual should routinely keep a check on the breast in order to save
themselves from breast cancer. In case, the breast cancer is detected, a person
should immediately consult a cancer specialist.
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