Breast cancer - live to tell the tale

Breast cancer

When the cells within the breast start to grow abnormally, they create a mass or cancerous tumor, which is actually the breast cancer. Although the breast cancer is usually associated with the females, the breast cancer may occur in the males as well, but the number of men suffering from the breast cancer is significantly smaller when compared to the number of the women who, unfortunately, develop it.

It is observed that the breast cancer is the second causative factor of cancer deaths in cases of women. However, the number of women developing the breast cancer is in slight decline in the recent years, which is probably due to the public support and the increasing awareness of the women about the devastating effects of this breast disease. Therefore, the breast cancer survival rates are in an increasing trend.

Symptoms and causes of breast cancer

When the cancer develops within the breast, the affected woman may feel a lump when she examines her breasts. This lump is somewhat harder and can be distinguished from the tissue that surrounds it. Moreover, the women may see nipple discharge that contains blood. The breast may change the shape or the size and the skin of the breast may also turn darker. Furthermore, inverted nipple and peeling of the nipple skin are also the warning signs of the breast cancer. None of these symptoms should be neglected since the breast cancer is a deadly disease.

In most cases, the breast cancer starts in the cells found in the ducts where the milk is produced and this type of breast cancer is called invasive ductal carcinoma. On the other side, the breast cancer may start in the lobules, when it is called invasive lobular carcinoma. However, the cells in the other parts of the breast may also overgrow causing breast cancer.

It is estimated that in even up to 10% of the breast cancer cases the patients have someone in their family who already suffered from it, so it can be said that the risk of developing cancer is high in those people who have someone in family with this serious breast disease.

The early discovery of breast cancer is a crucial thing, since when the cancer progresses, the chances for survival are very small. When the doctor diagnoses the cancer and its stage, the treatment will be started and it will include medications, surgery, and radiotherapy or chemotherapy.