Breast cancer is a kind of cancer that begins in the breast. Mostly, cancer happens when cells start to expand in bulk. The cancer is formed in ducts or the lobules of the breast. The glands that form milk are called lobules and ducts carry the milk through the glands to the nipple area. This cancer can also happen in the fibrous connecting tissue or the fatty tissue inside your breast.
The non-controllable cancer cells mostly spread to other breast tissues and can go to the lymph nodes under the arms. The lymph nodes make cancer cells move to the rest parts of the body.
According to researchers, the factors which enhance the risk of breast cancer are hormonal, environmental, and lifestyle.
It was approximated that in 2020, near about 30% of women would be diagnosed with breast cancer. There is a total of 3.5 million women who fought breast cancer in the United States. Every 2 minutes a woman goes through breast cancer in the United States on average.
Every four minutes a woman goes through breast cancer in India and every eight minutes a woman dies due to breast cancer in India. Breast cancer is the most general form of cancer spread among women in India.
Types of Breast cancer:
There are various types of breast cancer, and they are categorized into two primary categories: invasive and noninvasive. Invasive cancer grows from the breast ducts or glands to different parts of the breast. Noninvasive cancer does not expand from the original tissue.
These two categories are utilized to explain the most general types of breast cancer, which include:
- Ductal carcinoma in situ: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a noninvasive state. Through DCIS, the cancer cells are restricted to the ducts in your breast and have not occupied the nearby breast tissue.
- Lobular carcinoma in situ. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is cancer that expands in the glands that produce milk in your breast. The cancer cells have not occupied the adjacent tissue like DCIS.
- Invasive ductal carcinoma. IDC is the most widespread type of breast cancer. This type of breast cancer starts in your breast’s milk ducts and then occupies surrounding tissue in the breast. After the breast cancer has multiplied to the tissue outside your milk ducts, it can start to spread to other close-by organs and tissue.
The Continuous Update Project Panel concluded that there was a strong confirmation that consumption of alcoholic drinks, larger birth weight, and adult attained height are causes of premenopausal breast cancer. The panel also concluded that there is a strong confirmation that dynamic physical activity and greater body fatness defend against premenopausal breast cancer.
The Panel concluded that there was strong proof that consumption of alcoholic drinks, greater body fatness during adulthood, adult weight gain, and adult conquered height are causes of postmenopausal breast cancer. The Panel also concluded there is a strong confirmation that physical activity (comprising dynamic physical activity) and greater body fatness in young adulthood defend against postmenopausal breast cancer.
The countries with the top 20 highest occurrences of breast cancer in 2012 are given in the table below.
- Belgium had the highest number of breast cancer patients followed by Denmark and the Netherlands.
- Somewhat more cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in less developed countries (53%).
- The highest occurrence of breast cancer was in Northern America and Oceania; and the lowest occurrence in Asia and Africa.
- Belgium had the highest fraction of breast cancer survivors still alive five years after their diagnosis, followed by Denmark and France.
- In more developed countries, there were 3.2 million women who had endured breast cancer for at least 5 years; the stats for less developed countries was 3.0 million.
- The highest fraction of breast cancer survivors still alive five years after their diagnosis was in Northern America and Europe; and the lowest occurrence in Africa and Asia.
Causes of breast cancer
After hitting puberty, a woman’s breast comprises fat, connective tissue, and thousands of lobules. These are tiny glands that generate milk for breastfeeding. Tiny tubes, or ducts, bring the milk toward the nipple.
Cancer causes the cells to increase hysterically. They do not die at the normal point during their life cycle. This extreme cell growth causes cancer because the tumor utilizes nutrients and energy and withdraws the cells around it.
Breast cancer generally begins in the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that provide them with milk. From there, it can extend to other parts of the body.
Symptoms of breast cancer
The symptoms of breast cancer vary from women to women. Some women don't have any symptoms of breast cancer.
Some warning indications of breast cancer are as follows:
- A lump is created in the breast area or the underarms.
- The breast area gets swelled or thickened.
- There is much irritation in the breast skin.
- Immense pain in the nipple region.
- Breast size and shape changes.
- There is discharge from the nipple which includes blood.
- Skin gets red in the nipple area.
Risk factors of breast cancer:
- In your breast biopsy, if there is the presence of atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma, you have major risks of breast cancer.
- There are chances to get breast cancer in another breast too even though you have breast cancer in only one breast.
- Breast cancer is hereditary. If someone in your family happens to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age, there are many risks of breast cancer for you. As such many people who have breast cancer have no family history.
Treatment of breast cancer:
Breast cancer is treated in various ways. It relies on the type of breast cancer and how far it multiplies. People with breast cancer often get more than one type of treatment.
- Surgery. An operation in which doctors cut out cancer tissue.
- Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to contract or kill the cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you get or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.
- Hormonal therapy. Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to nurture.
- Biological therapy. Works with your body’s immune system to aid it to fight cancer cells or to manage side effects from other cancer treatments.
- Radiation therapy. High-energy rays (parallel to X-rays) to slay the cancer cells.
Thus, you need to take care of breast cancer and consult your doctor as soon as possible. Don't avoid this cancer and take the necessary treatment which is required.