Breast cancer is
an abnormality that develops from the breast tissues. Breast cancer is one of
the leading cause of death from cancer in women. Majority of breast cancer
cases are found in women compared to their male counterparts. About a million
cases are reported yearly and about thousands die as a result. Women in the
developed countries have higher risk rate of developing cancer than women in
the developing countries but the survival rate in developed countries is higher
than that of developing nations. This due to their eating habits, lifestyle and
proper health care.
How breast cancer
develops
Breast cancer
develops from any parts of the breast. They may rise from the glands that
produces milk or duct that carry the milk to the nipples. The are other breast
cancers that exist but not very common.
When cells in the
breast begin to grow beyond control then breast cancer sets in.The abnormal
growth of the cells may result in the formation of tumor which can be seen or
felt as a lump. Although many types of breast cancer can cause a lump in the
breast, not all do. It is very necessary to recognize that not all breast lumps
are cancer, they are benign. Benign breast tumors are abnormal cell growths
which do not spread outside of the breast and they are not life threatening. A
diagnosis of breast cancer is confirmed by taking a biopsy of the concerning lump.
Once the diagnosis is made, further tests are done to determine if the cancer
has spread beyond the breast and which treatments it may respond to.
Causes of Breast Cancer
1.Eating of
diet high in saturated fat.
Unhealthy eating habits significantly increase the risk of
breast cancer and mortality. Most people have adapted unscientific, unhealthy
"high calorie, high fat" eating habits, resulting in a significant
increase in the incidence of breast cancer. In countries that consume excessive
amounts of meat, and therefore animal protein, breast, uterus, prostate, thick
bowel-rectum, pancreatic and kidney cancers are more common in this countries
than countries that consume less animal protein. It is known that consumption
of lean animal protein is not related to cancer. Consumption of lean meat,
milk, and similar foods does not increase cancer risk.
2. Women who have
no children have a higher risk of developing cancer later in life.
Epidemiological studies have shown that women who are
married and have no issues or the first child came after 30 years of age is a
big disadvantage, but unmarried ones have 2 times breast cancer risk. Experts
believe that fertility has a protective effect on the breast, but only refers
to those who have a full term before the age of 30. In recent years, studies
suggest that breastfeeding has a protective effect on the incidence of breast
cancer, mainly for premenopausal women.
3. Women who use
oral contraceptives.
Birth control
pills: Long-term use of birth control pills increases the risk of breast cancer
development. In addition, it has been shown that the use of these medicines for
at least five years reduces the risk of the large intestine, uterus, and
ovarian cancer. The risk of breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke increases
when you start to use it for longer than 10 years and especially when you are
younger.
4. Women or men
who consume alcohol
Studies show that
the risk of getting breast cancer in women who regularly drink alcohol every
day is 40 percent higher than those who do not drink alcohol. Alcohol increases
the level of estrogen in the body, which explains some of the reasons for the
increase in risk. To help reduce the risk of cancer, some studies
have shown that limiting alcohol intake reduces the risk of developing breast
cancer. Drinking almost every week is associated with an increased risk
of breast cancer in women." In women who are unable to get enough folic
acid in the diet, the risk of catching the illness is particularly high. Do not
drink is an important way for many women to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
"
5. Genetic
factors
Genetic Risk
Factors are associated with genetically inherited genes in families.
Individuals who are diagnosed with cancer at a young age among family members
are found to have the same type of cancer in three or more generations and
10 percent of breast cancers are genetic: if at least two of a woman's mother,
sister, or aunt were to have breast or ovarian cancer while under age 35, this
is a risk factor. This may not be hereditary, even if more than one family
member of the family has the same type of cancer. It is advisable to have an
examination by a physician once a year and to have a mammography done. If cancer
is suspected to be hereditary, genetic screening tests should be performed.
6 .Women in whom
menopause occurred late and menstrual period started at early age.
There is a higher risk of breast cancer later in life
for Women who started menstruating younger than age 12. The same is true for
women who go through menopause when they're older than 55.
7 Age.
Older women are at higher risk of developing cancer.
The incidence of breast cancer in women is lower in the 0 ~
24 age group, gradually increased after the age of 25, 50 to 54 years old group
reached the peak, 55 years later gradually decreased. Women who had their
first menstrual period before age 12 or who went
through menopause after age 55 have an increased risk of developing
breast cancer. Women who had their first full-term pregnancy after age 30 or
who have never had a full-term pregnancy are also at increased risk of breast
cancer. The older a woman is, the more likely she is to get breast cancer.
8 Overweight.
Obesity
is closely related to breast cancer. Studies have shown that most cancers
in people with overweight or obesity, including breast cancer (postmenopausal
women), intestines, uterus, pancreas, kidney, liver and upper abdomen (stomach
carcinomas), gall bladder, ovary, Thyroid, myeloma (blood cancer) and
meningioma (brain tumor). Obesity, breast cancer, and other cancer incidence
were higher than non-obese 3.45 times because the accumulation of fat leads to
estrogen production which eventual increase estrogen is which release into the
blood continually. In addition, obese people are mostly hypercholesterolemia
and hyperinsulinemia, increased cholesterol in the body, lymphocytes, macrophages
and other cell membrane cholesterol content increases.
9 Lack of
exercise
Increased
physical activity is extremely useful even during treatment of breast cancer.
Thanks to physical activity, women can fight fatigue, normalize problems with
sleep and with appetite. Regular exercise helps to prevent a decrease in muscle
tone, relieves fatigue and helps not to gain weight. In addition, physical
exercises improve the patient's health in the long term, reduce the risk of
developing cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Studies confirm that overweight
can increase the risk of developing new cancer or relapse of breast cancer.
This is due to the fact That fat cells in the body synthesize additional
amounts of estrogen. Therefore, the less excess fat in the body, the less
estrogen is synthesized in the body and less of its effect on the cells of the
breast. In addition, the reduction in excessive weight affects positively on
other organs and systems of the body, in particular, the state of the
cardiovascular system. Studies show that regular physical exercise helps reduce
the risk of developing a new breast cancer or its recurrence. In addition, it
has been proven that regular physical activity after a woman has had breast
cancer can improve survival. In one study, it was shown that regular exercise
by an average of three to five hours per week reduces the risk of developing
cancer.
10 Radiation
Breast tissues are more sensitive to ionizing radiation. In
the young stage, the mitotic stage of the mammary gland is the most sensitive
to the effect of ionizing radiation, and the effect of ionizing radiation is
cumulative. Multiple doses of exposure are the same as that of high dose
exposure, therefore. If you received radiation treatments to your chest as
a child or young adult increases the risk of breast cancer later in
life.
11. Some drugs
Some drugs such as antihypertensive drug, phenothiazine, and
steroids have increased the incidence of breast cancer. Some health care
products, skin care products, cosmetics containing carcinogenic ingredients, if
used can cause some problem therefore should be used with caution. Postmenopausal hormone therapy: These
drugs are usually used to remove or reduce complaints related to menopause.
These medicines contain the estrogen and progesterone hormones that the body
produces. The risk of breast cancer and uterine cancer increases in
postmenopausal women who use these medications for 5 years or longer.
12. Depression
Depression: In the single woman, stay ladies, public
relations lady, retired women workers and some secondary school teachers,
suffer from depression more and the incidence of breast cancer is also high.
Because these women are prone to tension and anxiety, loneliness depression,
sad sadness, disappointment, irritability and other depressive mood. long-term
emotional problems may cause a number of issues like the body's life rhythm
disorders, neuroendocrine system dysfunction, resulting in internal environment
imbalance. Urban young women face intense competitive pressures, long-term
stress, and depression, leading to emotional instability which can in increase
the risk of breast cancer.
13. Hormone
Breast cancer and human endocrine balance disorders are
related to a variety of endocrine factors, the most important are estrogen and
progesterone. The results show that estrogen stimulation of breast glandular
epithelial cell hyperplasia is an important cause of breast cancer. Often use
of hormone drugs and women with menopausal hormone replacement therapy can
increase the risk of breast cancer.
Symptoms
A lump in a
breast
A pain in the
armpits or breast that does not seem to be related to the woman's menstrual
period
Pitting or
redness of the skin of the breast; like the skin of an orange
A rash around on
one of the nipples
A swelling in one
of the armpits
An area of
thickened tissue in a breast
One of the
nipples has a discharge; sometimes it may contain blood
The nipple
changes in appearance; it may become sunken or inverted
The size or the
shape of the breast changes
The nipple-skin
or breast-skin may have started to peel, scale or flake.
