Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in American women after lung cancer. More than 200000 cases are diagnosed every year in the USA alone. Breast cancer is defined as the occurrence of malignant tumors in the breasts. There are various types of tumors that arise during breast cancer, depending on their location in the breast:
- Invasive ductal carcinoma—arising from the ducts of the breast
- Invasive lobular carcinoma—developing in the lobes
- Ductal Carcinoma In-situ—pre-cancerous cells in the ducts
- Lobular carcinoma in situ—pre-cancerous cells in the lobes (treatment is usually not needed for this as it does not have the ability to invade surrounding tissue).
While men can also have breast cancer, women are the most at risk. The risk factors are:
- Age—risk increases with age.
- Age at first menstruation—the younger the age, the higher the risk.
- Age at first pregnancy—the older the age the greater the risk.
- Use of estrogens (e.g. in Hormone Replacement Therapy) also increases the risk.
- Family history
Better treatment and early detection through mammography in women over 40 years of age and in younger women with a family history of breast cancer have led to an increase in survival rate of nearly 20% in ten years. The importance of regular mammography cannot be understated. In addition, every woman should regularly check for abnormalities in their breasts. Any change that is felt should be shown to a doctor for a proper diagnosis. This is the only way that breast cancer can be defeated.
Tags: breast cancer, breast cancer causes, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer type, causes of breast cancer, types of breast cancer