Breast Cancer

Breast cancer: Breast cancer commonly found in females. It can be affected one out of ten females in the western world. It is a serious problem of breast tissue and about 20% of female with this disease will die. Men are also affected by this disease. This cancer is not transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Bruising, bumping and touching are not the causes of this disease.

Causes of breast cancer:

Family history: A women easily getting a breast cancer, if her sister, mother or daughter had already breast cancer. There is chances increase in risk if her sister, mother and daughter had this disease under age 35.

Genes: There are main two genes -- BRCA 1 and BRCA 2. If there is any changes occur in these genes then risk of breast cancer may be increased. Some ways will be suggested by the doctor to reduce the breast cancer. Specific tests may be performed by the doctor to check the changes in genes.

Personal history of breast cancer: If a woman had breast cancer in only one breast, then there is chances to increase risk of cancer develop in another breast.

Symptoms:

• Nipple tenderness
• Lump in the breast
• Changes in shape and size of the breast
• Affected area may be red in color, scaly and swollen
• Nipple drain fluid
• Pain in the breast.

Diagnosis:

Family medical history and personal history will be asked by the health care provider to diagnose the disease. Mammogram test and physical examination test may recommend by the doctor. Biopsy test may help to look for cancer cells. Ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, surgical biopsy are used to diagnosis the breast cancer.

Treatment:

Surgery, chemotherapy, biological therapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy are effective and used to reduce the breast cancer. Choice of methods of treatment depends on the causes, symptoms and stages of breast cancer.

Local therapy: Local therapies include radiation therapy and surgery. They are effective and help in remove the cancer from breast. Local therapy is good to control the cancer on the other parts of the body.

Systemic therapy: Systemic therapies include hormone therapy, chemotherapy and biological therapy to reduce the cancer. These therapies are control the cancer and shrink the tumor.

Before starting any treatment, your health care provider will give the information about the side effects of the treatment and give suggestions how to reduce the side effects. You should also get the second opinion before start treatment. In second opinion, insurance companies maintain the pathology report, planning of treatment, biopsy slides and mammogram films