Breast Cancer
By: Lexi Chambers
Definition:
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.
Symptoms:
- A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
- Bloody discharge from the nipple
- Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast
- Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
- A newly inverted nipple
- Peeling, scaling or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
- Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange
Causes:
It's not clear what causes breast cancer.Breast cancer most often begins with cells in the milk-producing ducts (invasive ductal carcinoma). Breast cancer may also begin in the glandular tissue called lobules (invasive lobular carcinoma) or in other cells or tissue within the breast.Doctors estimate that only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are linked to gene mutations passed through generations of a family.
Prevention:
To Try and Prevent Breast Cancer Try:
- maintaining weight
- breast screening annually
- exercise daily
- drink alcohol in moderation
Treatments:
Depending on your stage and what you and your doctor think:
- Breast Cancer surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy
- Targeted drugs
Diagnosed
Breast Ultrasound or scanning with an MRI can be used to determine if you have breast cancer or not
Risk Factors:
- Being Female
- Increasing Age
- Family History
- Obesity
- Having first child at older age (35+)
- Drinking Alcohol
Estimation of how common for 2015:
- About 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
- About 60,290 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).
- About 40,290 women will die from breast cancer
New Information:
Breast Cancer is the most common cancer there is. It can happen in both men and women- its more common in women.
Citations:
"What Are the Key Statistics about Breast Cancer?" What Are the Key Statistics about Breast Cancer? N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.