Breast Cancer: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment

Breast cancer is a kind of cancer which can occur in the breast cells of both men and women. It is the second most common form of cancer. It is also considered to be the fifth most common cause of cancer related deaths.

Breast cancer is a type of cancer which originates from the breast cells of men and women. In the world, this is the second most common form of cancer after lung cancer. It is also said to be the fifth most common cause of deaths related to cancer. The breasts of both men and women have identical tissues. Thus, this type of cancer can occur in both male and female. However, it is 100 times more common in men than in women.

Symptoms:

The initial subjective sign or symptom of breast cancer is usually a lump in the breast which is different from the surrounding tissues of the breast. According to surveys, over 80% of cases originate from a lump. Lumps found in armpits or collarbone may also indicate this disease.

Other indications include changes in the size or shape of breast, nipple inversion, skin dimpling or impulsive discharge from a single nipple. In breast cancer, you usually do not feel any pain in the initial stages. Symptoms of an inflammatory breast cancer may include pain, warmth, redness and swelling in the breast along with an orange texture of the skin. Unexplained loss of weight and chills and fevers can also be an indicative sign of breast cancer.

Prevention:

Breast feeding can prevent breast cancer to a great extent. Folic acid is said to counteract the risk of breast cancer. It has been found that women who consume 3-4 glasses of alcohol everyday have more prone to breast cancer.

However, if they consume sufficient amount of folic acid, then they have lower risks of the disease. Foods rich in folic acid include citrus juices and fruits, peas, dried beans and green leafy vegetables like spinach. In order to prevent breast cancer, avoid being a second hand smoker.

Getting your ovaries removes not only reduces the chances of breast cancer by at least 60% but it also reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 96%.

Screening:

The common methods of breast cancer screening are clinical and self breast examinations, x-ray mammography, genetic testing and MRI. In the process of self-examination, you need to examine your own breasts in order to detect lumps in the breast tissues. Mammography examines the breast for any unusual lumps or masses.

Regular mammography is recommended for prevention of breast cancer, especially for high-risk individuals and older women. MRIs can also be used for spotting possible cancerous masses.

Treatment:

The main treatment procedure for breast cancer is surgery in which the tumor is localized. Other methods are aromatase inhibitor, tamxifen, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Depending on the age, size, metastasis and type of cancer of the patient, they are roughly categorized into low risk and high risk individuals and all of them have different treatment procedures. Other possibilities may include chemotherapy, immune therapy and hormone therapy.

ILT or Interstitial laser thermotherapy is an innovative way of treating this disease. Radiation treatment may also be used for destroying cancerous cells which may linger even after surgery.