What is Breast Cancer and Causes of Breast Cancer

What is and Causes of Breast Cancer

Author: peterhutch

Definition of breast cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male is rare.
 
Symptoms of
 
Knowing the signs and symptoms of may help save your life. When the disease is discovered early, you have more treatment options and a better chance for a cure.
 
A lump or thickening in the breast or armpit
 
A change in the size or shape of the breast
 
Discharge from the nipple
 
A change in the color or texture of the skin of the breast or areola (such as dimpling, puckering, or scaliness). 
 
Breast discharge is a common problem and is rarely a symptom of cancer. Discharge is most concerning if it is from only one breast or if it is bloody. In any case, all breast discharge should be evaluated.
 
A change in the shape of your nipple, particularly if it turns in, sinks into the breast or becomes irregular in shape   
 
A blood-stained discharge from the nipple   
 
A rash on a nipple or surrounding area   
 
A swelling or lump in your armpit
 
Causes of
 
Age: The chance of getting goes up as a woman gets older. Most cases of occur in women over 60. 
 
Personal history of breast cancer: A woman who had in one breast has an increased risk of getting cancer in her other breast.
 
Your risk of developing increases as you get older. About 1 out of 8 invasive diagnoses are among women younger than 45, while about 2 out of 3 women with invasive are age 55 or older when they are diagnosed. 
 
Recently published research shows that a woman's risk of developing is also affected by breast density and whether she has used hormone therapy; including

Study of Statin as Neo-Adjuvant Therapy in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer
<b>Conditions</b>:   Breast Cancer;   Postmenopausal<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Atorvastatin<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Lund University Hospital<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified December 2008
CYP2D6 Genotyping by AmpliChipTM CYP450 for Tamoxifen-Treated Breast Cancer Patients
<b>Condition</b>:   Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: There is no intervention - this is an observational study<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified December 2008
Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography (PET/CT) Guided Fulvestrant Therapy for Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer
<b>Condition</b>:   Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: PET/CT Scan<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   British Columbia Cancer Agency<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified December 2008
Somo?InSIGHT Study: A Clinical Study to Evaluate Somo?v and Digital Mammography Together as a Breast Cancer Screening Method, Compared to Digital Mammography Alone, in Women With Dense Breasts.
<b>Condition</b>:   Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) as an adjunct to digital screening mammography<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   U-Systems, Inc.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified December 2008
Radiation Therapy in Treating Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Who Have Undergone Breast Conservation Surgery
<b>Condition</b>:   Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: radiation therapy<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Institute of Cancer Research, United Kingdom<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified December 2008

these additional risk factors in a risk assessment tool might increase its accuracy, but researchers still need to validate these additional factors with data from independent studies
 
Family history: If a woman’s blood-related relatives on either her mother or father’s side of the family have had breast cancer, then she is at increased risk for the disease. Having a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) with can double a woman’s risk.
 
Breast Cancer Treatments
 
Surgery
 
The goals of surgery are to remove the cancerous tissue, and to analyze it for type, grade, size, hormonal status, and possible metastasis.
 
Frozen sections. Mayo Clinic has the benefit of its unique frozen section pathology lab, which allows for rapid and accurate microscopic analysis of tissue while a patient is still in the operating room. This capability allows doctors to know whether they have removed all of the cancer (achieved negative margins) within minutes of removing the tissue. Without frozen section analysis, determining whether all of the cancer has been removed may take days, causing a patient to undergo multiple surgeries.
 
Breast Reconstruction
 
Many women choose to have a plastic surgeon reconstruct their breast, either at the time of mastectomy or afterward. The surgeon may use saline-filled implants and/or tissue from other parts of the body to rebuild a natural looking breast and nipple. Reconstruction should be discussed with a plastic surgeon before you have your mastectomy. California law requires that insurers cover the costs of breast reconstruction.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/what-is-breast-cancer-and-causes-of-breast-cancer-462884.html

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