Breast cancer is characterized by some of this symptoms:
√ A change in the shape of breast.
√ An indentation/constriction on the external surface of breast.
√ A strange oozing out of liquid from nipple.
√ Peeling.
√ Scaling or flaking of breast skin.
√ Formation of soft or hard lumps in breasts or armpits, with or without pain.
√ An inverted nipple/ Nipple that pointed inward or Flattened nipple.
√ Redness or unusual warmth of breast noticeable in rare but aggressive cases of breast cancer.
√ Discharge of either colourless or bloody fluid.
√ Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or the clavicle (collar bone).
Breast cancer is learnt to be caused by genetic mutation in the DNA of breast cells, though the reasons for genetic mutation are not known.
Some of the factors responsible for breast cancer are:
1. Age
Women aged fifty and above are more likely to develop breast cancer and the risk is highest with septuagenarian women and more senescent females.
2. Personal history of non-cancerous lumps
If a woman has a personal history of non-cancerous conditions and the thickness of flesh is relatively dense, then there is higher risk of developing breast cancer.
3. Family history
The closest consanguine
family members who are the patients of breast cancer can be an indirect factor.
4. Menstrual Periods and Menopause
Women with early commencement of menstrual periods and delayed onset of menopause are more likely to develop breast cancer.
5. Breast feeding
During the period of lactation/immediately after child birth, women who have breastfed their infants for longer periods are found to be at lower risk of breast cancer.
6. Estrogen after menopause
Women who get obese and overweight after menopause are at higher risk of breast cancer, assessed probably due to excessive production of estrogen by fat cells after menopause.
7. Exposure to radiation scanning
If a woman had undergone exposure to radiation such as X-ray scanning during her girlhood or adolescence, she is likely to develop breast cancer.
8. Intake of alcoholic liquor
Drinking of alcoholic liquor is found to increase the risk of breast cancer one and half more times than in the case of female teetotallers.
9. Intake of certain anti-miscarriage drugs
Certain medicines like Diethyl-stilbestrol (meant for avoiding miscarriages) which were subsequently banned have been found to have increased the incidence of breast cancer in the case of women who had used them.
10. Hormone treatment
The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and oral birth control pills have been linked to breast cancer, due to increased levels of estrogen.
Prevention
There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer, but some lifestyle decisions can significantly reduce the risk of breast and other types of cancer.
There are steps every person can take to help the body stay as healthy as possible, such as
* Maintaining a healthy weight.
* Stop smoking.
* Avoiding excess alcohol consumption.
* Eat healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit vegetables.
* Regular exercise
* Maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI )
* Women should think carefully about their options for breast-feeding and the use of HRT following menopause, as these can affect the risk.
* Preventive surgery is an option for women at high risk.
Patients of breast cancer need to be given medical treatment on a war footing basis, depending on the degree of seriousness of the disease and the extent of neoplasm or spread of the disease.
Before assessing the extent of severity of the disease for giving medical treatment, it is much more essential to identify the type/s of breast cancer that had afflicted the patient. The age of the patient and the sensitivity to hormones are also critical factors to be taken into view for choosing the right method of treatment for breast cancer, out of the several existing procedures of curative treatment and corrective surgeries.
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