Breast Cancer
by: Bradley Thomas 4/7/16
What is it ?
Breast cancer is a disease that forms tumors in the breast and is found mostly in women. It occurs when a mutation or change happens in the gene responsible for cell growth. Do to this , malignant tumors develop in the breast. In some cases breast cancer can spread to the lymph nodes and lumps form under the arm.
Symptoms
- Swelling of all or part of breast
- Skin irritation
- Breast pain
- Nipple retraction
- Nipple discharge
Possible Causes
Risk factors for breast cancer vary from person to person. Being a woman raises your chances of contracting breast cancer than if you were a man. It is rare for men to get breast cancer but not unheard of. Age is also a factor of contraction. Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. Genetics also cause breast cancer. 5-10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be passed genetically. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the genes that have the highest risk of being mutated and causing cancer. White women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than black women, however black women have a higher chance of dying from it.
Prevention
The best way to prevent breast cancer is to get checked early and consult a doctor. Women should check frequently for lumps in the chest or go to the doctor for mammograms every 2 years.
Treatments
There are different ways to treat breast cancer. The different surgeries to go through as a first step. They range from lumpectomy, mastectomy, lymph node removal, and the experimental cryosurgery. The therapies one can through such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy,and hormonal therapy. there are medications for the pain cancer causes.