What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths among women in the United States. Breast cancer occurs when some of the cells in your breast begin growing abnormally. These cells divide more rapidly than normal cells and may spread to your lymph nodes and other parts of the body. In most cases it isn’t clear what causes normal breast cells to become cancerous; however doctors do know that only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are inherited.
Signs and symptoms:
- A lump or thickening in the breast
- Retraction or indentation of your nipple
- Any flattening or indentation of the skin over your breast
- A change in the size or contours of your breast
- A spontaneous clear or bloody discharge from your nipple
Some common risk factors include:
- Age – your chance of developing breast cancer increases with age
- Personal history of breast cancer – if you have had breast cancer in one breast you are more likely to have breast cancer again
- Excess weight - being overweight may be a risk factor in developing breast cancer
- Hormone therapy – treating menopausal symptoms with the hormone combination of progesterone and estrogen for more than 4 years increases your risk of breast cancer
Treatment options:
- Surgery:
- Lumpectomy – removes the lump and some areas of normal tissue
- Partial or segmental mastectomy – removes the tumors, some breast tissue, as well as the lining of the chest muscles
- Simple mastectomy - removes all of your breast tissue
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy
|
