WOMEN – Need to know about Breast Cancer

To be a robust person gifts you with mental peace though a fit and healthy body, especially in young age, is a marvelous idea. That is why - the Doctors advise a balanced  diet with regular exercise for a sound body and for obesity- avoid, prevent and reverse are the vital keys. Women have to exert much to ensure a good health. Equally, it is important for them to know about the Breast cancer.

The Disease 

To ensure your safety from the disease every woman has to enhance self-vigilance and take proper initiatives for her safeguard.  Breast cancer develops from breast cells and starts off in the inner lining of milk ducts or lobules which makes and supplies milk. The two types of cancers develop from the lobule(s) and the other one from duct(s). The disease worldwide is most common invasive cancers among female and the disease victims are the males too. 

This is worldwide the most common invasive cancer in females which accounts for 16% of all women cancers and 23% of invasive cancers in female with about 18% deaths around the world. The rates are comparatively much higher in developed countries than the developing nations possibly due to life expectancy, eating habits and difference in life-styles. It is more common among elderly women from rich countries where the average age is higher than the poor nations. 

Anatomy of female breast

A female breast, of a matured human, mainly consists of fat, connective tissues and thousands of lobules – milk producing tiny glands. The milk of a breastfeeding mother goes from lobules to tiny ducts (tubes) and finally delivered through the nipple. 

1. Chest wall, 2. Pectoralis muscles, 3.Lobukles   (Milk producing glands) 4. Nipple, 5. Areloba. 6. Lactiferous duct which carries milk to the nipple(s). 7. Fatty tissues 8.. Skin

The breast and other body parts have billions of microscopic cells which multiply in orderly fashion where the new cells replace the dead ones. These cells in breast cancer patients multiply abnormally and vigorously than the normal cases. The cancer of the lactiferous duct, the milk duct is most common cancer popularly known as Ductal carcinoma and the cancer of the lobule is known as the Lobular carcinoma. 

Invasive & Non – invasive breast cancer

The cancer cells break out from inside the lobules or ducts and invade the nearby tissues. The abnormal cells can reach the lymph nodes and eventually make their way to other organs (metastasis), such as the bones, liver or lungs. The abnormal cancer cells can travel through the blood stream or the lymphatic system to other parts of the body either early or later in the disease. 

This type of cancer is still inside its place of origin and has not broken out. Lobular carcinoma or Ductal carcinoma in situ, in original place, is the cancer inside the Lobules or Ducts.  Sometimes, this type of breast cancer is called “Pre-cancerous” which means that although the abnormal cells have not spread outside their place of origin, they can eventually develop into invasive breast cancer. 

Signs and symptoms

The victim of the breast cancer, in early days, complains of headache or pain whereas there is much more to notice, observe or detect as rash or swelling. The first symptom of breast cancer is usually as area of thickened tissue or a lump. No doubt, the majority of lumps are not cancerous but women should get them checked by a well qualified doctor or health care professional.  

With these possible early signs women are advised to consult the doctor on priority on noticing or detection. A lump or swelling in a breast or armpit. Pain in armpits or breast other than one related to initial menstrual periods. Colour redness or Pitting of the breast’s skin. Rash around nipples. Thicken tissue in the breast.  Any discharge, sometime with blood, from the nipples. Any change(s) in appearance of nipple, such as on becoming sunken or inverted. Any change in the size or the shape of the breasts. Once the skin of nipple or breast start to peel, scale or flake.

  

Major Causes 

No one is sure about what actually causes breast cancer. Also, there is no evidence or fact as to why it develops in one individual and spares the other. In fact, some risk factors impact a woman’s likelihood of developing the disease. The age decides the fate. The older a woman higher is the risk of developing it. The higher age with possible factors can be the big reason. Over 80% of all female breast cancers occur among the aged above 50 years or post-menopause.  

Women with family history for it are more likely to develop breast cancer but it does not necessarily mean that the victim’s sharing genes makes her more vulnerable for the disease because the majority of breast cancers are not with hereditary background.  Women carrying the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have considerably higher risk of developing breast cancer. These genes can be inherited. TP53, another gene, is also linked to greater risk. Women with breast cancer, even non-invasive cancer, are more likely to develop the disease again, compared to those who have no history of the disease. 

A woman with more dense breast tissues have a greater chance of developing the disease. Those having periods at an early age or entered menopause later than routine one’s have higher risk of developing breast cancer since their bodies have been exposed to estrogen for longer. Estrogen exposure benign with periods and drops dramatically during the menopause. 

The post-menopause obese and overweight women may have higher risk of developing breast cancer since there are higher levels of estrogen in obese menopause females that puts them to higher risk factor. A taller woman, than an average has slightly greater chance of getting disease than the one in smaller size. And till today, there is no definite answer for – why. More intake of alcohol on regular basis and exposure to X-rays and CT scans increases the risk of developing breast cancer. The scientists have found that women treated earlier with radiation of chest for any form of cancer have higher risk of developing the disease. 

Higher Risk Working Woman

Women working in night shifts especially prior to first pregnancy are at a higher risk of the disease, say the French researchers.  On the contrary, the researchers from Canada claims in Environmental Health magazine, issue November 2012 that those

bringing the human body in contact with possible carcinogens and endocrine disruptors have fast chances of developing the breast cancer such as bar gambling, automotive plastic manufacturing, metal working, food canning and agriculture. 

Woman developing breast cancer after the cosmetic implants may have higher risk of dying prematurely as compared to other females, as the Canadian researchers claim in British Medical Journal of May 2013 issue.  Further, the cases of cosmetic breast implants make it harder to spot malignancy at an early stage because these produce shadows on mammograms.

On Diagnosing Ailment 

Once a situation with doubts is over and the ailment is confirmed through various tests and examination like breast X-rays (Mammograms), Ultrasounds, MRI and staging are carried out for confirmation and rightful diagnose of the disease and subsequently on

confirmation followed by surgery firstly, the Lumpectomy – removing the tumor and a small margin of healthy tissue around it and secondly the Mastectomy – removing surgically the breast which is followed by Axillary lymph node dissection and subsequent biopsy. 

Further, the process to step up by breast reconstruction surgery and radiation therapy (radiotherapy), Chest wall radiation therapy, Breast boost, Pymph node radiation therapy, breast brachytheraphy and Chemotherapy are the most vital steps to curb the ailment. Further, the Harmone therapy (Harmone blocking therapy) and other corrective steps are taken to ensure minimum effect and damage of the ailment. A good health in one’s life is the boom and everyone has to remember the aforesaid doctors ‘mantra’ to care and go for necessary preventive and corrective measures to ensure a good health.