My OperaBreast Cancer: Stages and Treatments
Wednesday, March 7, 2012 6:37:46 AM
breast cancer, breast cancer, Breast Cancer: Choose Your Own Cure!Breast cancer is one of the top cancers in women today. Cells throughout the body are continually being lost and replaced, occuring in a state of balance. If, for some reason, the control mechanisms ensuring this balance become disrupted, a cell may start multiplying out of control - a tumour is then born.
Tumours are classified into whether they are benign or malignant. Benign tumours are those which, whilst growing in a uncontrolled manner, do not spread beyond the confines of their anatomical boundaries. Malignant tumours, on the other hand, are those which have the ability to invade structures and thereby enabling them to spread beyond their anatomical boundaries. They are also able to spread to distant parts of the body by invading the blood and lymphatic systems. The characteristic feature shared by all cancers is that this usual balance between cell loss and cell multiplication is disrupted.
What are the Risk Factors for developing Breast Cancer?
Some women with one, or even a few risk factors, never go on to develop breast cancer, whilst there are many women with breast cancer who have no apparent risk factors.
The Following are known risk factors:
• Having had cancer in one breast: this increases 3 to 4 fold, the risk of developing a new breast cancer, unrelated to the first, in the other breast, or in another part of the same breast.
• Getting older: the risk of breast cancer increases with age, the peak incidence occurring in the 55 to 59 age group. Whilst breast cancer predominantly affects older women, it can occur in women under 30 years of age.
• Family history of breast cancer: having a first degree relative (mother, sister or daughter) with breast cancer increases your risk of having breast cancer yourself.
• Predisposing breast conditions: history of certain breast conditions, such as atypical lobular or ductal hyperplasia, and lobar carcinoma in-situ, increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
• Genetics: carriers of alterations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Women suspected to have genetic risk for breast cancer should undergo genetic risk assessment by a specialist (ideally in a cancer genetics clinic). Women with this BRCA mutation have about a 5 - 10 times increased risk for developing breast cancer compared to women without this mutation. They also tend to present with breast cancer at a much earlier age.
• Being Overweight
• Alcohol intake
• Race: caucasian women have been found to be at slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than their African-American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian counterparts.
• Presence of other cancers in the family: a positive family history of cancers of the ovaries, uterus, cervix or colon increases the risk of you developing breast cancer.
• Excessive exposure to radiation
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): long term use of combined oestrogen and progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer.
• Late childbirth: having your first child after the age of 35 or never having children increases your risk of breast cancer.
• Early menarche: if you had your first period before the age of 12 years, your risk is increased.
• Late menopause: if you reach menopause very late, this would also increase your risk of breast cancer.
Tumours are classified into whether they are benign or malignant. Benign tumours are those which, whilst growing in a uncontrolled manner, do not spread beyond the confines of their anatomical boundaries. Malignant tumours, on the other hand, are those which have the ability to invade structures and thereby enabling them to spread beyond their anatomical boundaries. They are also able to spread to distant parts of the body by invading the blood and lymphatic systems. The characteristic feature shared by all cancers is that this usual balance between cell loss and cell multiplication is disrupted.
What are the Risk Factors for developing Breast Cancer?
Some women with one, or even a few risk factors, never go on to develop breast cancer, whilst there are many women with breast cancer who have no apparent risk factors.
The Following are known risk factors:
• Having had cancer in one breast: this increases 3 to 4 fold, the risk of developing a new breast cancer, unrelated to the first, in the other breast, or in another part of the same breast.
• Getting older: the risk of breast cancer increases with age, the peak incidence occurring in the 55 to 59 age group. Whilst breast cancer predominantly affects older women, it can occur in women under 30 years of age.
• Family history of breast cancer: having a first degree relative (mother, sister or daughter) with breast cancer increases your risk of having breast cancer yourself.
• Predisposing breast conditions: history of certain breast conditions, such as atypical lobular or ductal hyperplasia, and lobar carcinoma in-situ, increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
• Genetics: carriers of alterations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Women suspected to have genetic risk for breast cancer should undergo genetic risk assessment by a specialist (ideally in a cancer genetics clinic). Women with this BRCA mutation have about a 5 - 10 times increased risk for developing breast cancer compared to women without this mutation. They also tend to present with breast cancer at a much earlier age.
• Being Overweight
• Alcohol intake
• Race: caucasian women have been found to be at slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than their African-American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian counterparts.
• Presence of other cancers in the family: a positive family history of cancers of the ovaries, uterus, cervix or colon increases the risk of you developing breast cancer.
• Excessive exposure to radiation
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): long term use of combined oestrogen and progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer.
• Late childbirth: having your first child after the age of 35 or never having children increases your risk of breast cancer.
• Early menarche: if you had your first period before the age of 12 years, your risk is increased.
• Late menopause: if you reach menopause very late, this would also increase your risk of breast cancer.
