Breast Cancer and Women’s Health
Breast Cancer is defined as “a group of solid tumor malignancies arising in the tissues of the breast” (Sarah Crawford, Richard Alder, 2013) in human and other mammals. It can happen to both men and women. For women, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death. According to National Cancer Institute, in the United States, the 2014 estimated new cases and deaths of female from breast cancer are 232,670 and 40,000, respectively. For male, it’s 430 deaths out of 2,360 new cases. From these numbers, we can see that women in the U.S. are greatly affected by breast cancer, thus, it’s not difficult to imagine the impact on a worldwide level. Although these numbers look frightening, people can
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For example, if a women’s mother or sister has breast cancer, she may be at higher risk of getting the disease. Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are leading factors of breast cancers in women; it will actually promote the development of cancer cells. There are other genetic reasons that may increase the risk of breast cancer. For example, according to a research done by some Chinese scholars, “genetic variants in the vicinity of pre-miR-101-2 were associated with breast cancer risk in the Chinese population.” However, most breast cancer patients do not have family history of this disease. For them, all of the following factors may differently impact the risk of exposure to breast cancer: weight, menstruation age, menopause age, first childbirth age and etc. According to our textbook, early menstruation, later menopause, overweight and having child after age of 30 will increase the risk of getting breast cancer. Other risk factors like medical conditions may also impact the risk of breast cancer.
Symptoms and Stages
It’s important to learn the symptoms of breast cancer so that we can treat it earlier. Typically, people may found a lump that feels different from other breast tissues. Other noticeable breasts symptoms include shape, size, skin color, texture, itching, pain, swelling, increased sensitivity and etc.
The stages of breast cancer depend on tumor size and when it spreads to the other parts of body. In stage 0, also called the situ stage, the tumor is not large
Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma starts in one of the milk ducts in the breast, spreads through the wall of the duct and into the fatty tissue of the breast. Once it has spread outside the duct it is possible to spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system and blood stream. Some signs and symptoms of invasive ductal carcinoma can include: a lump in the breast tissue or armpit area, redness, thickening, irritation or dimpling, breast pain and or swelling, and nipple changes and or discharge. (American Cancer Society, 2014., National Cancer
There are no symptoms at the early stages of breast cancer which makes early detection even more difficult. When tumors become large there is an obvious breast mass which is mostly not painful. Symptoms of breast cancer include breast thickening, skin irritation, tenderness, swelling, breast scales, distortion, redness tenderness, nipple retraction and ulceration, There may also be abnormal discharge.
Understanding ways to prevent breast cancer are important for all women to know and discern. Every woman is at risk of developing breast cancer, however, the risk is not equal among all women. “Some breast cancer risk factors, such as gender and family history, are not changeable. Other risk factors, like age, become more important as a woman grows older. Some of the following lifestyle characteristics could reduce the chance of developing breast cancer. Characteristics include exercise at least one and a half hours a week, maintaining a healthy body weight, and taking Aspirin or Ibuprofen twice a week can lower your chances of developing breast cancer. Alcohol consumption more than doubles the risk of women obtaining breast cancer, and smoking shows increased rates of breast cancer”(Holmes par 1). Some women may not be genetically proven to develop breast cancer, but that doesn’t mean the individual will not get cancer
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in American women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). However, regular screening and mammograms can help reduce the mortality rates of breast cancer patients (LaPorta, et al., 2017). Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include lumps, abnormal changes to the nipple, abnormal discharge from the nipple, or change in color of the breast or part of the breast (Asuquo and Olajide, 2015). There are many factors that can put women at risk of developing breast cancer, the two most common being growing older and being female (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Other risk factors can include things such as a
Despite significant advances in research, Breast Cancer is still the most common cancer, affecting both men and especially women. In the US, 232, 670 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed along 62,570 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer in women and about 2,360 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in men in just 2014 .
As the cells change, it begins to divide rapidly causing a tumor to form. The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Breast cancer can begin in different areas of the breast, or in some cases, the tissues in between. There are many different types of breast cancer, including non-invasive, invasive, recurrent, metastatic breast cancer, as well as the intrinsic or molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in around 20-30% of breast cancer tumors. It is associated with a more aggressive disease, higher recurrence rate, and increased mortality.
Another factor that contributes to the development of breast cancer is actually the hormone estrogen. This seems unusual because estrogen is a hormone that is essential to the bodies of women in various ways. Estrogen is necessary for normal growth and development of breasts and reproductive organs, as well as for the maintenance of a healthy heart and bones. However, lifetime estrogen exposure may increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. It does not actually produce the mutation in the DNA, nevertheless Estrogen stimulates the proliferation of breast cells that already contain a mutation. These mutated cells will continue to reproduce and have an increased chance of becoming cancerous.
Breast cancer is cancerous growth of cells in the breast which can be often felt as lump. It becomes dangerous when the cancerous cells becomes malignant and starts invading other tissues of the body. However, this can be prevented by early detection. The incidence of breast cancer is mostly with females although there are few reports of men suffering from the disease. In most cases, the cells with the ducts of milk glands are often associated and few can arise from other cells of the breast and can be termed as sarcomas as well as lymphomas that are different from breast cancer which is an adenocarcinoma (Al-Hajj, Wicha, Benito-Hernandez, Morrison, & Clarke, 2003). Common type of breast cancer includes ductal carcinoma in situ which is considered non-invasive and not life threatening. The invasive ductal carcinoma is associated with the milk duct and can invade nearby tissues of the breast as well as other body parts through the blood stream. Another form of invasive lobular carcinoma starts from the milk glands and can metastasize. Other less common types includes inflammatory breast cancer, Paget disease, phyllodes tumour and angiosarcoma.
List the factors in the patient’s history that increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
Breast cancer is one of the cancer diseases which can be detected early by looking at its symptoms. Symptoms may include a lump or thickening
One out of eight women around the world develops the most common disease called Breast Cancer. In the United States, about 200,000 women suffer from this disease and it causes more than 40,000 death each year. Breast cancer is a cancer cell (malignant tumor) that forms in the breast. The cancerous cells grow in the breast and then invade the healthy cells and the surrounding tissues of the breast and it can also spread into other parts of the body. Breast cancer is more common in women but men can also get it too. One of the reasons that males are less likely to develop breast cancer because males have less estrogen and progesterone hormones which is a higher risk of breast cancer cell to grow. There are many risks factors that can cause
There is still no known cause of breast cancer and as previously thought, you don’t have to have a family history of it. It is important for a person to know what to watch for. Typical signs and symptoms are as follows: lump or thickening inside breast tissue or in axillary area, swelling, warmth or redness,
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, it accounts for one of every three diagnoses in the United States. Breast cancers are malignancies, life threatening tumors that develops in one or both breasts.
A family history of breast cancer may increase your risk of getting breast cancer. Although someone in your family has breast cancer does not mean you will have it too. About 75% of patients with breast cancer do not have a family history of breast cancer. Girls who have a menstruation before the age of 12 and women who has menopause after the age of 50 can increase your risk of cancer. Older women are at higher risk then younger women. Women over 40 who have there first pregnancy is at risk of getting the disease. White woman are more likely to get breast cancer than African-American women, but African-American women are more likely to die from cancer. Asian, Hispanic, and American Indian women have a lower risk of getting breast cancer then white or black women. According to a study, woman who takes birth control has a slightly greater risk of getting breast cancer. Most studies suggest that use of HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) for relief of menopause symptoms for more than 5 years may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer (Breast Cancer Statistics, 2008).
Breast cancer accounts for one third of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States (Cauley, et al., 2007). The first sign in the process of this disease is a lump that forms around the breasts. For this reason, it is necessary to get the yearly mammograms once a woman reaches a certain age. Also, monthly self-examinations can aid in finding breast cancer early. If this condition is found early enough, chances of survival are abundant. Most women who get breast cancer are older than 50 with 86% of the deaths occurring in this age group (Cauley, et al., 2007). Postmenopausal women have a higher risk for breast cancer, because the risk increases when levels of endogenous estradiol rise (Cauley, et al., 2007). Breast cancer is the most common cancer that occurs in women. This epidemic has a higher incidence rate among white women than in African American women, but African American women have a higher mortality rate (Breast Cancer Risk Factors, 2010). White women are more apt to develop this disease than any other ethnicity. However, in women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African American women (Breast Cancer Risk Factors, 2010).