Friday, January 4, 2013
Important things about breast cancer
Breast cancer is a type of cancer most commonly suffered by women after cervical cancer.
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Some factors that increase the risk of breast cancer:
Immediate family (mother and sister) have been affected. About 20% of breast cancer patients have a relative who was also diagnosed with cancer.
Menstruation too early (under 12 years old) or late menopause (> 50 years old)
Age over 50 years. Breast cancer is attacking all women regardless of age, but the woman's age increases, the greater the risk. Women over 50 years have an increased risk of breast cancer up to 5-7%.
Never have children or having a first child over 30 years.
Smoking and consuming alcohol.
Yet there is strong scientific evidence that cell phone radiation and the consumption of soft drinks may increase the risk of breast cancer.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
Early stage breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. However, at a more advanced stage one or more of the following symptoms may be felt:
A lump or thickening in or near the breast and armpit.
Changes in the size and shape of the breast.
Discharge from the nipple.
Change the color or shape of the skin around the breast, areola and nipple.
Remember that these symptoms above are not always caused by breast cancer. Infection and cysts can also cause similar symptoms. If you experience these signs, consult a doctor.
Detection of breast cancer can be done by:
Palpability. Or your own doctor can perform palpation to determine the presence, size and texture of breast cancer. Not all breast cancers can be detected by touch.
Mammography. Mammogram (breast X-ray) is a very effective etode to detect breast cancer early, when still curable. Mammography can detect cancer even before stage 0 (carcinoma in situ), in which the tumor has been formed but has not spread. However, approximately 10% of breast cancers are detected by palpation are not detected by mammography. If you are negative mammography results, however, you or your doctor to feel the presence of cancer, mammography should be done again.
Ultrasonography. If after mammography apparently no suspicious lesions were found, the doctor may recommend an ultrasound. By utilizing high frequency sound waves, ultrasonography can differentiate between types of cancer lesions were solid and the liquid.
Development of Breast Cancer
Stage 0: Cancer cells do not interfere with other body tissues (non-invasive).
Stage I: Cancer cells are urgent and disturbing normal tissue around it. Tumor size has a size of up to 2 centimeters but has not affected gland limpha.
Stage II: The cancer is between 2 and 5 centimeters or has spread to lymph limpha under the armpit. Limpha glands are affected not urgent or interfere with each other in the surrounding tissue.
Stage IIIA: The cancer is larger than 5 centimeters or has been severely affected glands limpha. Limpha glands pressing closer together or surrounding tissue.
Stage IIIB: Cancer has spread to the skin, chest wall and lymph limpha mamari below the ribs. At this stage the cancer can be very violent, causing inflammation in some or all of the chest.
Stage IV: The cancer has spread beyond the breast, armpit and lymph limpha up to the neck, lung, liver, spine and brain.
Breast Cancer Therapy
Handling or treatment of breast cancer depends on the patient's age, stage of cancer, type of cancer and the rate of spread. Here are the types of therapies that may be performed:
Surgery, including mastectomy (the removal of the entire breast) or lumpectomy (removal of the breast cancer tissue and heals the rest by irradiation)
Radiation cancer cells to reduce the size of the cancer and eliminate complaints.
Chemotherapy, anti-cancer drug and hormone therapy to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.