All You Need to Know About Breast Cancer - Daily health topics ...

Article by Jeff Warner

According to the National Cancer Institute, one in eight women in the United States has a lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. This means that nearly 192,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year making it the most common type of cancer in the country apart from skin cancer. It occurs in both men and women although cases are rare in men.

The risk of breast cancer in women doubles every ten years until menopause from the onslaught of puberty. Post menopause this risk slows down but is still a threat depending on the individual. Some women who have started their menstrual cycle as early as twelve years of age are under a greater risk of developing this cancer than others.

Breast cancer usually occurs in the breast tissues ? the ducts and lobules. It is usually detected after abnormal lumps are found in the breast through either a self- examination of the breasts or through regular check up with an oncologist. These lumps can either be benign tumors that are harmless and easily operated on, or malignant tumors that are life-threatening and require medical help. A clinical breast exam or mammogram is conducted on the breasts to spot any irregularities. In some cases other methods, such as MRI scans or ultrasounds are conducted, followed by the biopsies to confirm the occurrence of the cancer.

Breast Cancer: Risk Factors

Many factors affect a woman?s personal chances of developing this cancer like breast density, age, race, ethnicity and family history. While all these risks are predetermined, other factors that equally contribute to development of breast cancer like lifestyle, weight and alcohol intake can be regulated in order to reduce risks. Some of the risks that occur in postmenopausal women that can be controlled are:

Weight: Obese women are at a higher risk of developing this cancer after menopause. This is because fat tissue is the only source of estrogen for the body after menopause, and higher fat tissue means higher estrogen levels. Increased estrogen levels naturally lead to an increased risk of this cancer.

Smoking: Postmenopausal women who have been passive or active smokers have a 16% higher threat of contracting breast cancer.

Hormone Replacement therapy (HRT): Women who have undergone HRT therapy are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer by 1.023 times for each use of HRT annually. The combined use of estrogen and progestogen in HRT is said to contribute to this risk.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Symptoms of breast cancer are usually not visible at first glance. However, on regular breast examination, changes in the breast are noticed more. Unlike normal cancers, breast cancer may even go undetected unless a clinical examination is taken as you do not fall sick at all. Some symptoms include:

Lumps: Lumps in the breast are the most common symptom of breast cancer. This happens during examination when an irregularity is noticed.

Inflamed breast: The skin may become red-orange, inflamed and painful. This is because the cancer blocks the breast from draining fluid.

Change in Skin and Nipple: Dimpling of the skin and wrinkles are other symptoms. Nipples may also be pulled in, emit discharge or get a rash.

Treatment of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women

Treatment for breast cancer is better for postmenopausal women as they do not have to worry about the risk of infertility or recurrence of cancer. Treatment depends on age, health and stage of cancer. Some treatments available are:

Lumpectomy: This involves surgery to remove the cancer from the breasts.

Mastectomy: This is the removal of the entire breast and thereby the tumor along with lymph nodes and chest muscles.

Radiation and Chemotherapy: Usually used after surgical removal of the cancer in order to completely annihilate it, both are used only in advanced or extreme stages of cancer. Radiation therapy uses high energy beams to damage cancer cells. Chemotherapy uses drugs or chemical drugs to kill cancerous cells throughout the body.

About the Author

Aromasin is a drug that has been found to decrease the risk of breast cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women. Learn more about Aromasin, its benefits and side effects only from a well-known Canadian drugstore.

Source: http://www.thehealthbeautyreviews.com/2011/07/all-you-need-to-know-about-breast-cancer/

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