What is Breast Cancer

Cancer of the breast is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control and cause the disease. And it cannot be spread from person to person.

In the United States, other than cancers of the skin, this type of female cancer that is most common. It accounts for roughly 30 percent, or one in every three, of all newly diagnosed cases of cancer in women each year. There is an about 13% chance that a woman living in the United States may acquire cancer at least once throughout her lifetime.

Women in their 50s and 60s are most likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. This indicates that approximately 50 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are under the age of 60 at the time of their diagnosis. Only a very small fraction of women under the age of 45 are identified as having breast cancer.

In women, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer that results in death in the United States.

Breast cancer can be hereditary 

Although breast cancer does not tend to run in families, having certain genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, can make you more likely to develop breast cancer. There is a chance that these genes will be passed down from a parent to their offspring.

On the other hand, if you are at risk for breast cancer, it is essential that you undergo continuous monitoring and screenings so that your physician can diagnose and treat any breast cancer that may develop at the earliest possible stage.

And talk to your primary care physician if there is a history of breast or ovarian cancer in your family. They might recommend that you get a genetic test through the NHS, which will let you know if you have inherited one of the genes linked to an increased risk of cancer.

 

Know about the 7 Early breast cancer symptoms

1. A lump or swelling that can be found in the breast, upper chest, or armpit.
2. Breast changes like a change in your breast’s size, shape, texture, or temperature.
3. A modification in the color of the breast, which may become red or inflamed looking.
4. Alterations in the shape of your nipple, such as it has Pulled inward, dimpled and Developed sores.
5. Inflammation or crusting around the nipple.
6. Unusual nipple discharge. It could be transparent, or it might have a bloody appearance.
7. Discomfort in any of the breast’s regions.

5 Stages of Breast Cancer

After performing a physical exam, your physician will evaluate the extent of your cancer and assign it a stage.

Stage0: It’s the beginning of the scale. In the stage 0 of the disease, there are no signs that cancer cells or any other abnormal cells have invaded the normal tissue that is nearby.

Stage I: The very early stage of an invasive cancer is referred to as stage I. At this point, tumor cells have spread to healthy breast tissue around them, but are still confined to a small area.

Stage II: Cancer in stage II is only in a small part of the breast, but it has grown larger.

Stage III: In stage III breast cancer, the tumor is either of a bigger size than it was in earlier stages or the cancer has progressed into other areas of the breast.

Treatment for breast cancer

Treatments for breast cancer can be very effective, with survival rates of 90% or higher when the disease is found early.

There are several different approaches to treating breast cancer, including:

• Surgical removal of the tumor:

The type of surgery you need depends on your individual condition.

1. Lumpectomy: This surgery is performed in order to remove cancerous or other unhealthy tissue from the breast.
2. Mastectomy: This surgery is performed in order to remove the entire breast if you currently have breast cancer or have a high risk of developing breast cancer in the future.

• Chemotherapy:

Your doctor may offer chemotherapy for breast cancer before a lumpectomy in an attempt to reduce the tumor. Sometimes, it’s administered after surgery to eliminate any leftover cancer cells and limit the danger of recurrence.

• Radiation therapy:

The treatment of cancer using high-energy rays (or particles) is known as radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells. radiation therapy is given after a lumpectomy or mastectomy to kill any cancer cells that are still there.

 

• Hormone therapy:

Hormone therapy is often used after surgery to lower the chance that the cancer will come back. Sometimes it is initiated prior to the surgical procedure.

 

• Immunotherapy:

Immunotherapy is the use of drugs to strengthen a person’s immune system so that it can more easily detect and destroy cancer cells.

 

• Targeted drug therapy:

The use of drugs that are directed towards proteins on breast cancer cells that help them grow, spread, and live for a longer period of time is what is known as targeted drug therapy. Drugs with specific targets can kill cancer cells or reduce their ability to spread throughout the body.

 

Therefore, the treatment that is most appropriate for you will rely on a variety of circumstances, such as the location and size of the tumor.

 

Can this cancer reappear?

Even after a surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments for this cancer, cancer cells may still be present. These cells have the potential to proliferate over time, which can result in a return of cancer. Yes, It’s possible that this cancer to reappear.

Read More