Breast Cancer Symptoms and Signs. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in the breast tissue. Cancer can begin growing in the mammary glands, milk ducts, fatty tissue and connective tissue in the breast.Breast Cancer Cause
The cause is unknown, but there are some risk factors that cause a woman to be more likely to suffer from breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Several factors influence the risk are:
1. Age.
Approximately 60% of breast cancers occur in over 60 years of age. The greatest risk found in women aged over 75 years.
2. Ever had breast cancer.
After the affected breast removed, then the risk of breast cancer in a healthy increase of 0.5 to 1% / year.
3. Family history of breast cancer.
Women who are mothers, sisters or children suffering from cancer, had a three times greater risk for breast cancer.
4. Genetic and hormonal factors.
5. Ever suffered from non-cancerous breast disease.
6. Menarche (first menstruation) before age 12 years, menopause after age 55 years, first pregnancy after age 30 years or had never been pregnant.
7. Kb pills or estrogen replacement therapy.
8. Obesity after menopause.
9. The use of alcohol.
10 The use of alcohol more than 1-2 cups / day can increase your risk for breast cancer.
11. Chemicals.
Some studies have cited the exposure of chemicals that resemble estrogen (contained in pesticides and other industrial products) may increase your risk for breast cancer.
12. DES (diethylstilbestrol).
Women who take DES to prevent miscarriage have a higher risk of breast cancer.
13 irradiation.
Breast Cancer Symptoms and Signs
Initial symptoms usually in the form of a lump that feels different from surrounding breast tissue, painless and usually has an irregular periphery. If you usually do some breast gymnastic regularly, you will easly find this problem.
In the early stages, if pushed by a finger, a lump can be moved easily under the skin. At an advanced stage, the lump usually adheres to the chest wall or the surrounding skin. In advanced cancer, may form lumps or ulcers on the skin swollen breasts. Sometimes the skin over the lump shrank and looked like an orange peel.
Other symptoms that may be found is a lump or mass in the armpit, change size or shape of the breast, an abnormal exit of fluid from the nipple (usually bloody or yellow to green, may also be pus), a change in color or texture of the skin on the breasts, nipples and areola (dark brown colored area around the nipple), breast, reddish, the skin around the nipples scaly nipples are interested in or feel itchy, painful swelling of one breast or breasts. At an advanced stage may develop bone pain, weight loss, swelling of arms or ulcerated skin.
Breast Cancer Prevention
Many risk factors can not be controlled. Some diet experts and oncologists believe that changes in diet and lifestyle in general can reduce the incidence of cancer.
Endeavored to make early diagnosis of breast cancer easier to treat and can disembuhan if still at an early stage.
Realize, clinical breast examination and mammography as a screening procedure is a third tool to detect cancer early.
Breast Cancer Treatment
Treatment usually begins after a thorough assessment of the condition of the patient, which is about a week or more after the biopsy. Treatment consists of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone inhibitors.
Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells in the tumor and the surrounding area, including the lymph nodes.
Chemotherapy (a combination of drugs to kill the cells that reproduce quickly or pressing reproductively) and hormone inhibitor drugs (drugs that affect hormone work which underpins growth of cancer cells) are used to suppress the growth of cancer cells throughout the body.
