Posts Tagged ‘Breast Cancer’
Breast Cancer: Prevention
Risk factors and genetic and family history can not be controlled. A healthy diet and healthy lifestyle reduces the chance of cancer in general.
Breast cancer is most treatable and often curable if detected early.
Early detection involves:
- Breast self-exams
- Clinical breast exams done by a professional
- Screening mammography
Most experts recommend that women age 20 examine their breasts once a month during the week following the menstrual period. Read the rest of this entry »
Breast Cancer: Complications
New and improved treatments are helping persons with breast cancer live longer than ever. However, even with treatment, breast cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Sometimes the cancer returns even after resection of the tumor and check nearby lymph nodes without cancer.
Side effects or complications of cancer treatment are, for example, radiation therapy, which can cause temporary swelling of the breast and pain in the area. Ask your doctor about side effects you may have during treatment. Read the rest of this entry »
Breast Cancer: Treatment
The treatment is based on factors such as type and stage of cancer, cancer sensitivity to certain hormones or and whether the cancer overproduces a gene called HER2/neu.
The main treatments for breast cancer are:
- Chemotherapy drugs to kill cancer cells
- Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue
- Surgery to remove cancerous tissue
Other treatments include:
- Hormone therapy (drug tamoxifen, which blocks the effects of estrogen, which can help them survive and grow to breast cancer cells)
- Therapy to interfere with growth and cell function
- Targeted therapy uses drugs or biological Special identify certain changes in a cell that can lead to cancer, such as trastuzumab Read the rest of this entry »
Breast Cancer: Causes and Diagnosis
Causes
Over half a lifetime, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Risk factors that can not be changed are:
- Age and sex
- Family history of breast cancer
- Genes
- Menstrual cycle
Other risk factors include:
- Alcohol
- Delivery
- DES – Women who took diethylstilbestrol to prevent miscarriage may have an increased risk of breast cancer after age DE40
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Obesity
- Radiation Read the rest of this entry »
Breast Cancer: Types and Symptoms
Breast cancer is cancer that begins in the tissues of the breast.
There are two main types:
- Ductal carcinoma, which begins in the ducts of the milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are this type
- Lobular carcinoma starts in the lobules that produce milk
In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas.
Many breast cancers are estrogen sensitive, which means that estrogen causes the tumor growth of breast cancer. It is called estrogen receptor positive breast cancer or cancer positive.
Some women have what’s called HER2-positive. HER2 refers to a gene that helps cells grow, divide and repair itself. When cells have too many copies of this gene – including cancer cells – grow faster. Experts think that women with HER2-positive – have a more aggressive disease and increased risk of recurrence than those who do not have this type. Read the rest of this entry »