When cells in the breast grow extensively without any control, breast cancer occurs. It is a type of cancer that can start anywhere in the breast. Furthermore, cancerous growth can rapidly spread in the outer region of the breast via lymph vessels and blood vessels. The term ‘Metastasized’ describes the stage when Breast Cancer reaches other parts of the body. In general, this medical condition usually begins in the ducts or lobules of the breast. The type of cancer affecting the breast also depends upon which cell in the organ turns cancerous. To help you learn more about Breast Cancer, we present this article.
What are the types of Breast Cancer?
There are two most common types of Breast Cancer. They are:
- Lobular cancer with invasion is in the lobules where the cancer cells start, then travel from the lobules to the nearby breast tissues. These invasive cancer cells can also invade different body regions.
- Ductal carcinoma with invasion: The cancerous cells rapidly grow in the ducts before spreading to other areas of the breast tissue. Additionally, invasive cancer cells can migrate, or metastasize, to other areas in the body.
You must also note that ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) can potentially transition to invasive breast cancer. Furthermore, there are less common types of Breast Cancers such as medullary mucinous, inflammatory breast disease, and Paget’s disease.
Are you aware of the risk factors linked with Breast Cancer?
You need to know that anything which increases your risk of developing breast cancer is considered a risk factor for this condition. However, having one or more such breast cancer risk factors does not guarantee that you will acquire the disease. In addition to being a woman, many females who acquire breast cancer have no other known risk factors.
Several factors contribute to breast cancer, and they are:
- Old Age: As you age, your chance of breast cancer increases.
- Alcohol Drinking: The more a woman consumes alcohol, the higher the chance of acquiring breast cancer.
- Being a woman: Breast cancer is far more common in women than in men.
- Breast cancer History: The risk of getting breast cancer in the other breast is higher if you already had it in the first breast.
- Past Medical History of breast problems: If you have a breast biopsy that once revealed a lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or atypical hyperplasia, you are more likely to develop breast cancer.
- Obesity: The risk of developing breast cancer increases if you are obese.
- Late menopause: Women who experience menopause later in life are more likely to get breast cancer.
- Radiation exposure: If you have had chest radiation treatments as a kid or young adult, your chances of getting breast cancer are higher.
Period: If you get a period when you are younger, the chances of developing breast cancer are higher. In other words, the risk of getting this type of cancer increases if you start menstruating before age 12.
- Never getting pregnant: More women who have never been pregnant get cancer than those who have undergone more than one pregnancy.
- Being a parent late in life: Women who become mothers after turning thirty have more chances of developing breast cancer.
- Inherited Genes: Parents can pass on some DNA mutations that enhance the risk of breast cancer to their offspring. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are the most well-known types. These genes can significantly raise your risk of developing breast cancer and other malignancies, but they do not guarantee that you will develop one.
How do you prevent Breast Cancer from developing?
Prevention is better than cure is a famous English adage that rings true for most medical conditions, including Breast Cancer. Therefore, it means that there are a few ways that you can use to avoid getting Breast Cancer. They are:
Working out on most days of the week:
Almost every day, you need to exercise for at least 30 minutes. Ask your doctor if you can resume exercise you have not been active in recently, and start cautiously.
Maintenance of health:
Maintain a healthy weight. Ask your doctor for advice on appropriate weight-loss methods if you needed. Try eating well by consuming fewer calories daily to increase your workout gradually.
Consult Physician:
Call your doctor with regard to breast cancer screening. Learn from your physician when to start mammography and other breast cancer screening exams and tests, such as clinical breast exams. Let your doctor know the advantages and disadvantages of screening. It is also a fact that you and your partner can choose the breast cancer screening methods that are best for you.
Breast self-exam:
Occasionally checking your breasts during a breast self-exam might help you learn about your breast and thereby help develop awareness. Speak with your doctor right away if you notice any new changes, lumps, or other strange symptoms in your breasts. Moreover, doing so will help you better comprehend the specific changes that your breasts go through.
Avoid overdoing postmenopausal hormone replacement:
Combination hormone therapy may make breast cancer more likely. So, you better discuss the advantages and disadvantages of hormone therapy with your doctor. In addition, some women go through menopause with worrisome signs and symptoms. It is also important that you use a minimum quantity of hormone therapy for the shortest time to lower breast cancer risk.
Consumption of alcohol:
Please do it in moderation. If you choose to drink, keep your intake of alcohol to no more than one drink per day.
If you are a woman most likely to get Breast Cancer, do you know what to do?
Suppose your doctor has reviewed your family history and found that you have other factors, such as a precancerous breast condition, that increase your chance of breast cancer. In that case, you may consider strategies to minimize your risk. Such as:
1. Preventative surgery: A few women with a very high risk of breast cancer can remove their breasts through a surgery known as prophylactic mastectomy. To lower their risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, they may also decide to have their healthy ovaries removed via a process known as a prophylactic oophorectomy.
2. Use of Preventative drugs: In women with a high risk of developing breast cancer, estrogen-blocking drugs such as selective estrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors help lower that risk. Because of the potential side effects, doctors only prescribe these drugs to women with an extremely high chance of developing breast cancer. So, visit your doctor to understand the pros and cons of this procedure.
Conclusion:
With cases of Breast Cancer increasing in the world today, women are increasingly becoming aware of this issue. It is essential to be conscious of this medical condition, mainly because you learn the following:
1. What type of screening is needed
2. Learning about risk factors
3. Acquiring knowledge of symptoms
4. How do you reduce the risk of Breast Cancer
The answer to the above points shall help you understand this disease better and help you deal with it efficiently.
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