Breast cancer has widely affected so many people both women and men. With the increasing awareness with charities around the world they have an annual international health campaign known as the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was founded in 1985 which increases awareness of the disease and also raises funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and much more. ”(www. nationalbreastcancer. org) While both women and men can also get the breast cancer disease there is a cure with awareness to breast cancer.
“Breast cancer is a disease that which the malignant cancer cells forms within the tissue of the breast. ”(www. nationalbreastcancer. org) This disease does not discriminate and is considered a heterogeneous disease. Breast cancer differs by individual, age group, and also with the different kinds of cells within the tumor itself. Every man or women’s first reaction will be of shock and discomfort of not knowing what will come next. Most individuals will be shocked to know that men to can also get this curable but deadly disease.
“Although men get the disease, women in the United States get breast cancer more than any other types of cancer this is excluding skin cancer. ”(www. cancer. org) Breast cancer comes in second with being the cause of death in women. Lung cancer is the second cause of death for women with cancer. Each year is estimated that nearly two hundred thousand women will be diagnosed with breast and more than forty thousand will die.
“Approximately seventeen hundred men will be diagnosed with breast cancer with about four hundred and fifty dying each year. ”(www. cancer.org) The testing process for both men and women are similar, including the mammography. Common risk factors for breast cancer can range from one’s age to diet and lifestyle. Majority of women are diagnosed over the age of sixty five. For men and women being obese can also play a major role in getting diagnosed with breast cancer. With being obese or overweight means that there is a lack of activity.
“A diet in high saturated fat and alcoholic intake of more than two drinks per day can increase the chances of getting diagnosed with the breast cancer disease. ”(www.nationalbreastcancer. org) For women early menstruation or late menopause, having your fist child or not even giving birth can also be considered a high risk factor. For younger women who have taken birth control for ten years or more and are under the age of thirty five are considered at being of a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Direct members of the family mainly a mother, sister, or personal history of breast cancer being benign which in cancerous can also be of a major risk factor.
“There are seven different types of breast cancer ductal carcinoma in-situ, infiltrating ductal carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, infiltrating lobular carcinoma, tubular carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma and inflammatory breast cancer. ”(www. komen. gov) Ductal carcinoma in-situ is an early type of breast cancer which is confined to the inside of the ductal system. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is considered to be the most common type of breast cancer which represents seventy eight percent of all malignancies. The lesions can appear in two different shapes as a stellate being star like or well circumscribed being rounded areas of mammograms.
Medullary carcinoma can be accounted for fifteen percent of all breast cancer types. This type of breast cancer occurs in women in their late forties and fifties, with cells that resemble the medulla being the gray matter of the brain. Infutrating lobular carcinoma is a type of breast cancer that represents five percent of all diagnosis. This type is often tested positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors, these tumors normally respond well to hormone therapy. This type also normally appears as thickening in the upper-outer quadrant of the breast.
Tubular carcinoma makes up two percent of all breast cancer diagnosis. This type of breast cancer is typically found in women ages fifty and above. “Tubular carcinoma has an excellent ten year survival rate of ninety five percent. ”(www. komen. gov) Muncinous carcinoma represents approximately one percent to two percent of all breast carcinoma. The main differences in the features are mucus production and cells that are poorly defined. Lastly, inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and extremely aggressive type of breast cancer that causes the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast to become blocked.
This type of breast cancer has the name inflammatory because the breast being to look swollen and red. “There are six different types of different types of breast cancer treatments being breast conserving surgery, lumpectomy surgery, partial mastectomy surgery, sentinel lymph nobe biopsy, radiation treatment and chemotherapy treatment. ”(www. komen. gov) Breast conserving surgery is an operation to remove the cancer but not the breast. Lumpectomy is a surgery that removes the tumor being the lump along with a small amount of tissue around it.
Partial mastectomy is a surgery to remove part of the breast and also a small amount of the normal tissue around it. Also with this procedure the lining of the chest muscles below is some cases may also be removed. Sentinel lymph nobe biopsy followed by surgery is the removal of the lymph during surgery. Sentinel lymph nobe is the first to receive lymphatic drainage from the tumor and is also the first lymph nobe the cancer will spread to. Radiation therapy cancer treatment uses high energy x-rays or other radiations to kill the cancer cells and to keep them from growing.
Chemotherapy treatment uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells by either killing them or stopping them from dividing. Hormone therapy removes hormones which are produced by glands in the body. Lastly, targeted therapy treatments uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cells without harming the normal cells. “Women starting in their early twenties should get breast examination also due self breast examination as well as at home while in the shower. ”(www. cancer. org) As part of a periodic health exam by a professional, women should get this done at least every three years.
The same process of the self breast will also apply to men. The chances of finding cancerous lumps in the male breast tissue are more likely than women. Men have a smaller breast size which means in most case less breast tissue. With less breast tissue, cancers do not need to grow very far to reach the nipple, the skin covering the breast, or the muscles underneath the breast. Even though breast cancers in men tend to be slightly smaller than in women when they are first found, they have in most case already spread to nearby tissues or lymph nobes.
Breast cancer in both women and men has a high success rate if this individual infected with the breast cancer disease takes the necessary precautions. The medical world has grown tremendously over the past several years. With the new medical treatments found it gives both women and men who have been diagnosed the comfort of knowing that there is a cure or a treatment to help him or her live a healthier and more prolonged life span. Breast cancer is a popular disease that does not judge nor does it discriminate. With correct treatment and prevention one will increase their chances of not catching the breast cancer disease.
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