Breast Cancer
Ashley McCamey
4/15/2014
Breast cancer. The second leading cause of death among women. In the United States, over 220,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,000 will die each year. In men, 2,150 will be diagnosed and only 410 will die. Statistically only 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer and the risk is generally determined by genetics, diet, and lifestyle. But what is cancer? How do people get cancer? And why is breast cancer so prevalent in women? Let’s find out. So what exactly is cancer? Doctors seem to throw that word around quite a bit. Well, cancer is actually a blanket term for a class of diseases that grow abnormal cells in the body and attack the healthy ones, which then begin reproducing very fast, causing the tissue around those cells to metastasize, or spread. So how does one get cancer? After all cancer isn’t like the flu or the common cold. You can’t just “get” it from someone else. Or can you? In studies of cancer patients, doctors have found that only 10% of breast cancer patients had a family history of cancer. So how did the other 90% get cancer? Well, some patients were smokers or
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First, after your mammogram results come back, your doctor will determine the course of treatment if a malignant tumor was discovered. Generally, if the tumor is small enough, it will be removed without the removal of the entire breast tissue. However, if the tumor has spread throughout the tissue, a mastectomy will be done. A mastectomy is the removal of the breast tissue. In this day and age, with the advancements in cancer research and treatment, this procedure can be avoided with early protection. However when most women hear that cancer is a possibility for them, they go ahead and get the mastectomy, when the reality is, only 25% of people who have the gene for breast cancer actually develop breast
At this point in time, scientists and doctors have yet to discover the specific causes for breast cancer. However, what is known are the different risk factors that may trigger or put women more at danger of acquiring this disease. Aged women who have experienced menopause are more vulnerable at containing this disease. Women are also more at risk if breast cancer is common within their family because it is hereditary. In addition, smoking and drinking are other factors that can put women at risk as well (Stephan, 2010). Obesity in particular is a huge risk factor. Women who are overweight, especially those who have a thicker upper body, are more likely to develop malignant cancers in the breast than a healthy woman (Vona-Davis and Rose, 2009).
Cancer is the term used to describe a group of diseases consisting of hundreds of ailments and although there exists so many different types of cancer, they all begin in a similar way. The body is made up of over a trillion cells, and cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malfunctioning cells in the body (Dawson, 1996). “Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person’s life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries” (American Cancer Society, 2012).
Breast cancer is a type of cancer originates from breast tissue, generally from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas whereas from ducts are called ductal carcinomas. (Ref: Breast Cancer, National Cancer Institute) Invasive breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread from the point of origin in the breast ducts/lobules to the surrounding normal tissue cells. In exceptional cases, breast cancer can start in at other sites in breast. Breast cancer occurs in both women and men, though male breast cancer is uncommon.
About 12% of women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, more than any other type of cancer (www.breastcancer.org, 2015). Many people lack the knowledge of how breast cancer is developed. Some people think they will not get cancer because they do not smoke cigarettes, but this is not the only cause of cancer developing in the breast. Anyone can get cancer. Everyone is potentially at risk for developing some form of Cancer (American Cancer Society, 2015).
Breast Cancer is a disease that can sometime lead to ovarian cancer and has caused a lot of women’s death. “About five to ten percent of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary, meaning that they result from gene defects called mutations inherited from a parent”. Related Risks early menstruation, oral contraceptives and child bearing 20 percent. (1)An environmental risk is that toxins can damage breast DNA. Over time damaged DNA can lead to cancer. Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. “1 of 8 breast cancer are found when women are younger than 45. 2 of 3 breast cancer are found in women age 55 years or older 75 percent greater chance”.(1) Breast Cancer can lead Peutz Jeghers syndrome the effects of Peutz Jeghgers is spots on your lips and in their mouths. Women with no children or who had a child after age 30 have slightly higher breast cancer risk. “Screening for breast cancer is early diagnosis increases chance of survival and annual mammogram after age 40”. Women who took Diethylstilbestrol while pregnant could have a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer. Birth control peals also cause higher risks 40 to 50 percent for breast cancer risk calms down after they have stopped taking them.(1) Using combined hormone therapy after menopause increase the risk of getting breast cancer , it also increase women chances of dying from it. If you are over weight or obese after menopause greatly increase breast cancer risk 20 percent. Drinking alcohol can cause a major effect for you to start developing breast cancer the risk increase the more you drink. Tobacco smoke, Night work, Antiperspirants, Bras and Induced abortion. Breast cancer takes a lot of toll on women and men of all races and...
Breast cancer is a type of cancer where cells in the breast divide and grow without normal control. By the time a lump is big enough to feel, it may have been growing for at least ten years, and by that time, it is harder to control how fast the cancer will grow or spread to other parts of the breast, and maybe even other parts of the body.
According to Breast Cancer Statistics, Breast cancer usually occurs in women between the ages of 35 and 65, even though fifty percent of all breast cancer is of women sixty-five and older (Breast Cancer Statistics, 2008). Although the cause of cancer is unknown, there are factors that increase the chances of getting it. These facto...
What is breast cancer? According to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health breast cancer is a, “cancer that forms in tissues of the breast" (cancer.gov). More specifically breast cancer is a malignant tumor that grows inside the breast tissue. What happens is one cell in the tissue does not get the stop signal and keeps dividing into this big mass. This big mass continues to grow and grow and could eventually taking over space that is meant for other tissue or getting into the blood stream taking the dividing cells elsewhere. Breast cancer normally starts in one of two places.
Thus, the government and society must plays their own role on the precaution and prevention in daily life in order to reduce the risk of cancer. The awareness about this matter should be increase to save many human lives. Society should stress upon the symptom cause by cancer and be aware on their environmental exposure. Precautionary measures should be taken ahead to combat this life threatening disease.
Breast cancer is a disease that is frightening and can be harmful to many people, however as more time passes more is known. The thirty percent decrease in death due to breast cancer is tremendous and it is just a start. By understanding the prevention, treatment, symptoms breast cancer is a disease that can be beat.
...learned a lot about breast cancer, I think prevention and early detection are critical. First, we need to learn more, information can be found in National Cancer Institute website and many medical journals. It’s important that we do self-examination periodically. By identifying risk factors, we will be able to take preventative steps accordingly. If breast cancer does occur, we need to stay calm and take necessary steps. If the tissues need to be removed, they should be. Many women show a lack of confidence after the major surgery because they do not have real breasts. This situation needs to be changed. Angelina Jolie, the celebrity, was brave enough to make the choice of removing breast tissues. She believes that the results of breast reconstruction can be beautiful, so should the rest of us. Also, family support during the treatment will make a huge difference.
Historically speaking breast cancer has been around for hundreds of years. Thankfully the treatment has improved. Patients who get the cancer removed and take care of themselves after, for example, by exercising and eating healthy, will live longer. There are many risks that increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer, for instance, age, family history, and race. A women who made history with breast cancer was Betty Ford, Betty was one of the first lady’s to speak openly about her disease. Betty encouraged women who have been affected with the disease to go to their doctor as soon as possible and told women who had shared that they didn’t have breast cancer to do self breast exams regularly and get mammograms. She also said when women get diagnosed with it don’t be embarrassed. Treatments in the past were pretty good and quite the same compared to the treatments given to people now, for instance, mastectomy’s which was the primary...
What is cancer? “Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues.” Cancer cell can spread to different parts of the body through blood and lymph systems. There are more than hundred different kinds of cancer. Most of the them are named after the organs.
(Treat par 2). Treatments that can be done are lumpectomy, mastectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and drug therapy. Lumpectomy is the process of surgically removing a tumor in the breast and as well, removing small section around the tumor that is normal and healthy cells. Mastectomy is the process of removing the breast with surgery and is done in different types. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is when a part of breast tissue is being tested to find the sentinel lymph node, which is where the breast cancer will most likely be spread to.
Stomach cancer is less common than breast cancer. Only ten percent of men have stomach