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Facts You Should Know About Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a disease that can send chills up a womans spine, but men are not totally immune from it.The breast is composed of a collection of glands and fatty tissue which lies between the skin and chest wall. After the birth of a baby, these glands in a womans breast begin to produce milk to nourish the infant. These glands are composed of somewhere between 1520 lobes each. The milk is then delivered to the nipple by way of special tubes, referred to as ducts. The glands and ducts increase in size as the breast fills with milk. The main factor determining the size and shape of the breast is fatty tissue. At times, tumors can form in the breast which may be cancerous.

A malignant tumor (cancerous) is composed of an outofcontrol growth of abnormal cells. A benign (noncancerous) tumor is not capable of spreading through the body. Cancerous tumors are also referred to as malignant and capable of spreading throughout the body. Breast cancer is diagnosed when malignant (cancerous) tumors are found in the breast. Though it is possible for any breast tissue to develop malignant tendencies, normally cancer cells develop in either the ducts or glands. The most common form of cancer diagnosed in the women of Europe and North America is breast cancer. Each year, the number of cases of breast cancer diagnosed exceeds 200,000. Though second in death rates among American women (lung cancer being first), a diagnosis of breast cancer is still very dangerous.

A diagnosis of breast cancer does not necessarily mean a woman will die from the disease. A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer; however she also has a 1 in 28 chance of dying from it. The greatest risk factor concerning breast cancer is a womans age. Older women have a greater chance of developing breast cancer than younger women. If she had her first menstrual period at a young age, this will influence her risk. The possibility of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, along with the womans age at the time of her first pregnancy and the presence of breast cancer in her family linage are also factors to consider. If a woman knows breast cancer is in her lineage, she is advised to undergo genetic testing as 310% of breast cancers are related to gene mutations. A woman can reduce her chance of developing breast cancer by limiting her consumption of alcohol to no more than five drinks per week, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight. It is believed a woman can also lower her risks if she bears her first child before the age of 30, breastfeeds the baby and avoids longterm hormone replacement. One final note, a woman at high risk of breast cancer should discuss the drug Tamoxifen with her doctor. Women who use this drug over a period of five years have been shown to reduce their risk of developing a tumor by 50%.

Early detection offers a woman her best chance of surviving and curing breast cancer. A womans chances for early detection will increase if she incorporates selfexams, clinical exams and mammograms in her routine medical care.{{{Between the ages of 2039, a woman should undergo a clinical exam every three years. | A woman between the ages of 20 and 39 is advised to undergo a clinical exam once every three years. | A clinical exam should be part of a womans health care every three years between the ages of 20 and 39. | Between the ages of 2039, women are advised to have a clinical exam once every three years

By: Robert Thomson

Check out ecanceranswer.net for all kinds of Cancer information from Cancer Symptoms to ecanceranswers.net/cancer_risk_factors.php">Cancer Risks and ecanceranswers.net/treatment_and_diagnosis.php">Cancer Detection.

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