Breast Cancer : Explained in Detail.

By:Chetan Bhawani

Introduction

Breast Cancer is a form of cancer that occurs in the breast tissue. Although the breast is made up of similar tissues in both males and females, breast cancer occurs mostly in females.

Causes

Like other cancers, breast cancer is an uncontrollable growth of breast cells, and is caused due to the mutation of certain genes present in your breast cells. This mutation can either be genetically inherited, i.e. it might have come from your parents, or it happened during changes in your body, like aging or due to life in general. Breast Cancer can also occur due to hormonal changes in the body, like during menopause.

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast Cancers can be divided into four types based on the location they occur and whether it is a local one or not.

1. Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, or DCIS

2. Lobular Carcinoma in situ or LCIS

3. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma or IDC

4. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma or ILC

Breast Cancer normally occurs either in the milk duct (Ductal), or in the lobules (Lobular) or glands that make milk. Both can either be “in situ”, meaning it remains where it started and does not spread, or it may be “invasive”, meaning it spreads into the surrounding tissues. Carcinoma is a word used for any cancer that begins in the skins or tissues covering internal organs.

Early Detection

There are no ways to prevent breast cancer. However, breast cancer can be treated effectively if it is detected in an early stage. Self Breast Examination for lumps and unusual changes should be carried out each month, preferably at the same time each month to minimize effects of menstruation. A clinical breast examination should be done once every year from ages 29 – 39, and once every year from the age of 40.

Diagnosis

Primary diagnosis is done using mammography, an x-ray of the breast. If breast cancer is suspected or diagnosed, this is followed by MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET Scans.

Treatment

The main form of treatment used for Breast Cancer is surgery. Depending on the size of the tumour, it can be lumpectomy, also known as breast conserving surgery, where only the tumour is removed, or mastectomy, where the entire breast is removed. Both forms of surgery are usually followed by radiotherapy, which is a form of treatment by exposure to radiation, to stop the cancer from spreading. Another major form of treatment is chemotherapy, where treatment is done through various forms of drugs. These drugs interfere with the growth of cancer cells, and thus help curing cancer. Breast cancer can also be treated using hormone therapy, using chemicals to stop activities of certain hormones. Hormone therapy can only be used if the cancer cells are responsive to hormones, and have varied side effects, ranging from vaginal dryness and weak bones to infertility. Even after effective removal of Breast Cancer, patients should be in constant touch with the physician to make sure that the cancer does not return.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: Breast Cancer, cancer, diseases, women health.

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Chetan Bhawani is a medical consultant and pathologist and gives regularly Helpful Health Tips and provides health Information and information about any disease in the human body.

Top Cancer Articles
1). Prostate Cancer, the Most Prevelant Non-Skin Cancer in the US By : Tyson J Stevenson According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, this type of cancer is the most prevalent non-skin cancer in the United States. A man is diagnosed with prostate cancer every three minutes, and one dies every seventeen minutes.
2). You Are Not Alone! By : Itzik Keidar 12 years ago, I had a Melanoma skin cancer. Melanoma is not as painful as other type of cancer but it's certainly as wicked, and it had to be removed. After the surgery, my doctor informed me that I'll probably get the same cancer in 2 years, unless I'll visit the hospital every day for the next 3 years and get Interferon injections. I remember thinking to myself.
3). Prostate Cancer - What Every Man Needs to Know By : Tyson J Stevenson Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancers in men. Prostate cancer is often found in elder men and the risk of prostate cancer increases with age. It occurs mostly among the male population of 50 years and above.
4). Mesothelioma Information By : Hans Hasselfors Mesothelioma in itself is one of the deadliest diseases ever to have been discovered by mankind. Medically, Mesothelioma as a word itself means a tumor that is more likely to transform in a fast proliferating cancer which affects the mesothelial cells of an organ, which form the protective thin covering over the organs like heart, lungs and abdomen.
5). General Aspects of Leukemia By : Groshan Fabiola Many people suffer from leukemia these days. A large number of cases of cancer are identified to be leukemia. Leukemia is a sort of cancer of the blood and marrow. The disease is characterized through the overproducing of immature blood cells (stem cells) that aren’t able to fully develop and to carry out the activities of normal blood cells. According to their functions and structure, there are three different types of cells within the normal blood: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
6). Protect Your Baby - Talc Is Extremely Dangerous By : John Morris Before using body powder on you or your baby, consider that not all body powder products are baby-safe. Body powders as well as baby powders, having talc as main ingredient may do more harm to you and your baby than good. 1...
7). Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet: Support A Noble Cause! By : Lisa Hyde Breast cancer is a major health threat to women around the world. The number of women affected by breast cancer is shooting up every year. The sad thing is early diagnosis and treatment can lead to an almost 100 per cent cure rate among those affected by this illness. Often the problem is not the unavailability of treatment for breast cancer, but late diagnosis.
8). Ovarian Cancer, Tea, and An Ounce Of Prevention By : Rebecca Prescott Dr Christiane Northrup has some interesting insights into the emotional and energetic issues associated with ovarian cancer. Whilst it is impossible to generalize emotional and energetic responses, she highlights the issue of rage in ovarian cancers. She describes the ovaries as being 'female balls' which means they relate to an active participation in the world in a way that expresses our unique creative potential, as women, on an individual basis.
9). Breast Cancer Treatment: Coping With A Mastectomy By : Melissa Buhmeyer As women, especially American women, much of our femininity is centered on our breasts. No matter where you look, there are pictures, billboards, commercials, television shows, and movies with women with these beautiful breasts and ample cleavage. The thought of losing one or both breasts, to breast cancer, can be devastating for many of us. Sure, there's.
10). The Causes of Prostate Cancer By : James Hunt What is the prostate? Where is it located? What does it do...

New Cancer Articles
1). Breast Cancer Treatment - Exploring The Two Most Popular Alternatives By : Brooke Hayles Cancer treatments are getting more advanced all the time. Breast cancer is second only to heart disease as the leading killer of adult aged women, with 1.2 million new cases each year. Breast cancer treatment has more options the earlier you catch it.
2). Breast Cancer - What Everyone Should Know By : Brooke Hayles Although research into breast cancer prevention is an ongoing process, there have been a number of breakthroughs recently. The National Cancer Institute has tested a number of drugs that could potentially prevent the disease altogether.
3). Find A Cure For Colon Cancer By : Joann Cheong Symptoms of colon cancer are numerous and non-specific. They include fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, change in bowel habits, narrow stools, diarrhea or constipation, red or dark blood in stool, weight loss, abdominal pain, cramps, or bloating...
4). What You Should Know About Your Prostate By : Lee Dobbins Find out about the prostate gland and some of the problems associated with it.
5). Chronic Prostatitis and Autoimmunity By : Trevor Mulholland Chronic prostatitis can be categorized either as chronic bacterial or chronic pelvic pain syndrome, also known as pelvic myoneuropathy. Aside from these two types, prostatitis can also be classified as acute or asymptomatic inflammatory.
6). What Do We Know About Pancreatic Cancer By : Joann Cheong In the United States, cancer of the pancreas is diagnosed in more than twenty nine thousand people every year...
7). Cancer And Exercise By : Tracie Johanson Although our medical system has made tremendous advances in the last few decades the grand prize of them all, the holy grail of medical science - a cancer cure - continues to elude researchers.
8). How Far Has Science Come in Understanding the Causes of Prostate Cancer? By : Trevor Mulholland The causes of prostate cancer, or any other type of cancer for that matter, have remained a mystery to those who are studying the disease.
9). Prostate Cancer - Are Men Their Own Worst Enemy? By : Donald Saunders The commonest form of cancer in the United States today is skin cancer but, to many people's surprise, prostate cancer is the second most frequently seen type of cancer and results in some 30,000 deaths each year. So just what is prostate cancer? The human body starts its life as a single cell which divides repeatedly to form new cells. As cell division continues so the newly created cells, acting as the building blocks of the human body, form themselves into walls of tissue creating the various parts that we recognize as the human body.
10). Understanding and Recognizing Leukemia Symptoms By : Groshan Fabiola Leukemia is a sort of cancer of the blood and marrow. The disease is characterized through the overproducing of immature blood cells (stem cells) that aren’t able to fully develop and carry out the activities of normal blood cells. Each type of mature blood cells has specific traits and roles inside the body. White blood cells or leukocytes have an important role in the immune system, contributing to overcome infections.