What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that begins in the breast and spreads to other parts of the body. The majority of breast cancer cases occur in women, but men have been known to get it.

What are some of the symptoms?

* Lump in breast or thickening of breast, sometimes in or near the armpit

* Change in size or shape of breast

* Discharge from the nipple area

* Change in the texture of skin of the breast including the areola

If you notice any of these symptoms you should contact a doctor immediately!

Checking and Diagnosing:

Here are some various ways that a doctor can investigate concerns with the breast.

* A physical examine of the breasts and armpits, looking for visible physical changes as well abnormalities to the touch

* Mammogram- which is an x-ray of the breast, can reveal dense tissue or abnormalities. A mammogram can find a lump long before it can be found by touch. Women entering their 40's should have a mammogram done each year. The quicker a lump is located, the quicker and better the chances are to remove it.

* Ultrasound- an ultrasound like the one done while you were pregnant, are sound waves that enter the breast and bounce back. This can determine whether or not lump is solid. Solid ones tend to be cancerous, while fluid filled ones are more likely to be non-cancerous.

* Biopsy- if a lump is discovered, a biopsy is done to determine if it malignant or benign. A small amount of tissue is extracted and analyzed by a pathologist to determine if cancer cells are present.

 

If you have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer.....

There four stages of breast cancer, obviously the earlier the cancer is found the better the prognosis.

Carcinoma in situ the earliest the breast cancer can be found. It has not invaded any of the tissue tissue and is contained in the breast duct. It has not spread to any of the other lymph nodes.

Stage 1 : Tumor is smaller than 2 centimeters and is confined to one area.

Stage 2 : Tumor is between 2-5 centimeters, and has spread to under the arms.

Stage 3 : Tumor is bigger than 5 centimeters and spread under the arms and to lymph nodes or other tissues

Stage 4 : Tumor has spread to other organs in the body.

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation also has pertinent information.

 

Breast Cancer Treatment Options

Surgery is the most common solution for breast cancer. The two kings of surgery. One is breast-sparing and the other is a mastectomy. With breast-sparing, just the tumor is removed. With a mastectomy the entire breast is removed. Which surgery is chosen, usually depends on the size of the tumor. Radiation therapy and Chemotherapy are treatments that are sometimes used to destroy cancer cells. Again, the treatment choice is dependent on the stage of breast cancer.