As soon as you the phrase ‘breast cancer’; the picture of a woman takes shape in your mind. Only the women are prone to this malady. This is known to afflict men rarely as well. Breast cancer, which is the 2nd most widespread form of cancer globally, develops in the tissues of the breast in men and women.
Initial symptom of breast cancer is the sensation of a growth or swelling in the locality of breast or underarm. Apart from that, signs of enlargement of the breast or part of it, change in the form and size of the breast, skin inflammation or dimpling, turning inward of the nipple and flow of fluid other than milk from the breast. It pays to be cognizant of these signs for early detection of cancer.
At the first sign of breast cancer, the prudent thing to do is to consult a doctor. The physician will check your breast for any suspicious growth or lump. Benign lumps are different to the touch from the cancerous lumps. Any doubts with regard to his examination will be sorted out with the help of tests such as MRI scan, mammography test, ultrasound scan or a biopsy. If you are diagnosed with the disease, he may order more lab tests to help him further study it and plan the breast cancer treatment options available to you.
There are several treatment methods as regards breast cancer. They are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy and biological therapy. Out of these, surgery and radiation are local therapies. The rest is known as systemic treatments. The former removes or destroys the cancer in the breast whilst the latter enters the blood stream and controls or destroys the cancer.
There are many risk factors associated with breast cancer. If you are a female, the chances of contracting this disease is great as a female’s breast cells are open to hormones like estrogen and progesterone at all times. As you grow old, the risks grow too. Since breast cancer is hereditary, the chances of your getting it are higher if someone of your family has had it before than in families where no one has ever been afflicted with it.
Breast cancer is supposed to be the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the world. You can imagine the seriousness of the problem. However, it’s comforting to know that billions of dollars are spent yearly on research work to find out the causes and treatments of cancer.
