Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, with approximately one in nine women developing the disease in her lifetime. Although breast cancer is known to affect women, it also can be equally devastating to men. Male breast cancer accounts for 1% of all diagnosed breast cancer.
Breast Cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells are found in the tissues of the breast. These cancerous cells continue to grow and eventually form into a lump known as a tumor.
Although more than 80% of breast lumps are not cancerous, a process known as a biopsy is the only way to know for sure. A biopsy requires the doctor to remove a small sample of tissue and examine it under a microscope and check for cancerous cells.
Breast Cancer affects more American women than any other type of cancer. There were about 100,000 new cases diagnosed in 1985, and in 1994, over 180,000 new cases were confirmed. One reason given to this dramatic rise is that more women are receiving diagnostic tests for breast cancer. However, other reasons for the long-term increase in breast cancer are not yet fully understood.
(Cancer Statistics from the American Cancer Society )
In 1994, a gene was located and sequenced that has been shown to be changed in 5% of the 180,000 breast cancer patients. Relatives of breast cancer patients who carry this modified gene have a higher rate of developing breast cancer in their lives. Tests are being developedto determine who has this gene long before any cancer appears. Even with these tests, scientists still do not have a way of directly treating the defective genes. Althoughresearchers are investigating the possible roles of heredity, environment, lifestyles, and diet, it's still not clear what causes most breast cancer or how to prevent it.
The swelling of the breast is an uncommon type of breast cancer. This rare type of breast cancer is called inflammatory breast cancer which symptoms include an increase in the skin temperature, redness, and swelling of the breast. The skin may show signs of ridges and welts or it may also have a pitted appearance. This type of cancer tends to spread quickly.
An individual's chance for recovery depends upon a number of factors such as:
Treatments for early breast cancer can include lumpectomy (limited surgery which removes the cancer but not the entire breast) followed by radiation therapy, or breast reconstruction after mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast.) Additional treatment may include chemotherapy or hormone therapy. Biological therapy (using the body's own immune system to fight cancer) and bone marrow transplantation are new methods that are currently being tested in clinical trials. Often, two or more methods are used in combination.
An individual with breast cancer should fully review all of the options with a physician before deciding upon the proper treatment program.
Once breast cancer has been found, more test are conducted to see if the cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body. The spreading of cancer in this manner is called metastasis. Doctors need to know the stage of the disease - how large the tumor is, and if there are cancer cells beyond the breast - to plan the proper treatment.
Even after an individual has been treated for breast cancer, it is possible for the cancer to come back (recur). However in most cases, the cancer can be treated, but usually cannot be cured, once the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body.