The dictionary defines breast cancer as being a serious disease caused by the growth of abnormal cells, but to a woman, this definition includes a very personal and real fight for their life. According to the Susan G. Komen foundation, one out of every three women is diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and one out of every 13 women diagnosed will die from the disease. As the second leading cause of death among women, this particular form of cancer However, there are currently over 2 million breast cancer survivors that overcame the odds, and these courageous women are evidence of a continual effort to understand the risk factors involved, different types of staging, and treatment options for those affected. While Breast Cancer is still considered a serious illness, every day steps are taken to find a potential cure.
In consideration that every woman is different in terms of genetic makeup, lifestyle choices and environment, there are numerous risk factors associated with who is at a greater chance of developing breast cancer. The most prevalent factors doctors and researchers associate breast cancer with is gender, as well as age and a family history that includes having women in their family that previously was diagnosed with cancer. Women are at a much greater risk than men at developing breast cancer, and it has been shown that women with fattier breast tissue are at a greater risk than those with less dense breast tissue. Age also plays a key role in determining possible risk factors. Studies have shown that increased age plays a very important role, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation states that as many as two out of three women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 55. (National Breast Cancer Org) Th...
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... of medical knowledge and the discovery of potential treatment options that have an even greater chance of success, to hear that one has breast cancer is no longer a possible death sentence. Perhaps in the future, the dictionary will no longer define breast cancer as a serious disease, but one that is permanently curable and manageable, regardless of the stage.
Works Cited
"Breast Cancer." Www.nationalbreastcancer.org. National Breast Cancer Organization, n.d.
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"National Cancer Institute." Breast Cancer Home Page. National Cancer Institute, n.d. Web. 24
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"Susan G. Komen." Susan G. Komen For the Cure. Susan G. Komen Org., n.d. Web. 24 Nov.
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"Treatment." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 15 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
Susan G Komen for the Cure is a very well know charity that raises funds for breast cancer. They host walks, sell merchandise, educate, and sponsor events. Every year they raise millions of dollars for research and to support those who have breast cancer. The charity originated in 1982 when Nancy G Brinker started it in honor of her sister Susan. Susan Passed away from breast cancer in 1980 and the charity was a part of Nancy’s promise to Susan that she would put a stop to breast cancer. For a long time Susan G Komen for the Cure has been considered one of the best cancer related charities there is, but lately it has come under fire.
Because of advancements in technology and funding survival rates have increased in each patient and quality of life due to better chemotherapy and radio therapy drugs are helping millions of survivors round the world to lead a generally normal life without the risk of the cancer returning.
The main competitors of the Canadian Cancer Society include organizations like Red Cross, Heart and Stroke Foundation, UNICEF Canada. These are fairly large organizations who do similar events as the Cancer Society to seek donations from donors. Moreover, these organizations are regularly active on social media as well where they promote their cause, ask for donations, engage with the public around the world, and promote their events to the similar target market of the Canadian Cancer
At this point in time, scientists and doctors have yet to discover the specific causes for breast cancer. However, what is known are the different risk factors that may trigger or put women more at danger of acquiring this disease. Aged women who have experienced menopause are more vulnerable at containing this disease. Women are also more at risk if breast cancer is common within their family because it is hereditary. In addition, smoking and drinking are other factors that can put women at risk as well (Stephan, 2010). Obesity in particular is a huge risk factor. Women who are overweight, especially those who have a thicker upper body, are more likely to develop malignant cancers in the breast than a healthy woman (Vona-Davis and Rose, 2009).
Some risk factors cannot be changed such as age, race, and gender. A person 's risk increases as they get older. Approximately 1 out of 8 women are at risk of developing breast cancer are younger than 55. Approximately 2 out of 3 women are at risk of developing breast cancer who are older than 55 (American Cancer Society, 2014). To decrease this rate, women need more timely follow ups and access to high quality treatments (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Men can develop breast cancer, but this disease is more common among women than men. (American Cancer Society, 2015).
The American Cancer Society is a volunteer-based organization that is present across the United States. Its main purpose is to raise money and awareness about the severity and prevalence of cancer. Cancer education and research is where most of the focus and monetary donations are used for. The American Cancer Society strives to fulfill their goal of “less cancer and more birthdays” across all generations and populations (ACS Inc., 2011).
Breast cancer is a disease that is frightening and can be harmful to many people, however as more time passes more is known. The thirty percent decrease in death due to breast cancer is tremendous and it is just a start. By understanding the prevention, treatment, symptoms breast cancer is a disease that can be beat.
There are many different reasons that woman maybe at a higher risk for breast cancer than other woman. Family history is risk factors that increase a woman’s likelihood of getting breast cancer. What this means is if a woman is in a family where this disease is common among female or even males they are at a higher risk for being diagnosed with breast cancer than someone who is in a family where breast cancer is not common. If the relative that has this disease is one that is very close meaning they are either a sister, mother, or daughter the likelihood that said person will also contract the disease is then doubled. This is mainly due to the fact that in close relations you are able to inherit the genes BrcA-1 or BrcA-2, these genes are mutation genes that play a role in controlling the growth of cancer cell. Only a small portion of women inherit this gene about 1 in 500 to be exact, however when they do inherit this gene they have a 80% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. This gene causes woman to develop cancer at a younger age usually before the time they hit menopause. Also, women with this gene have a greater risk of developing cancer in both breasts which is called bilateral breasts cancer. This is due to the fact that once the cancer develops in one breast the risk for developing it in the other breast increases. (“Breast Cancer”) "About 5 to 10% of breast cancer is hereditary, passed from one generation to the next via a variety of mutated genes". (Port 95-105) Lastly,
Breast Cancer is defined as “a group of solid tumor malignancies arising in the tissues of the breast” (Sarah Crawford, Richard Alder, 2013) in human and other mammals. It can happen to both men and women. For women, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death. According to National Cancer Institute, in the United States, the 2014 estimated new cases and deaths of female from breast cancer are 232,670 and 40,000, respectively. For male, it’s 430 deaths out of 2,360 new cases. From these numbers, we can see that women in the U.S. are greatly affected by breast cancer, thus, it’s not difficult to imagine the impact on a worldwide level. Although these numbers look frightening, people can actually survive from breast cancer if it is detected early and treated properly, so it is extremely important for all of us, especially women, to have a better understanding of breast cancer.
Isn’t it overwhelming to consider the fact that approximately one in eight deaths in the world are due to cancer? To make this more comprehensible, the number of deaths caused by cancer is greater than caused by AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Along with the idea that this disease does not have a definite cure is a mind-staggering concept to grasp. If not caught in time, cancer means guaranteed death. These types of thoughts were floating around my head when my mother had told me that my father had mouth cancer.
Another example of how St. Jude is at the front of the research world is that “St. Jude is a world leader in developing new, improved treatments for children with cancer”. St. Jude successfully treats cancer at a better rate than most hospitals in the world. St Jude is also known as one of the “top national referral center for children with tough-to-treat forms of cancer”.
We now can find what specific cancer a patient has and where, and give them a variety of treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and several other types of treatment including experimental drugs. But there is no 100% guarantee that these treatments work. Ancient physicians and surgeons knew that cancer usually came back after it was removed surgically and recognized that there was no cure once the cancer had spread, and thought that intervention may be more harmful that no treatment at all. Some people today still think of cancer as incurable and wait until the last minute to go to the doctor. Galen was a 2nd- century Greek doctor that claimed a breast cancer tumor could be completely removed if it was caught at an early enough
Susan G. Komen is a breast cancer awareness and research center looking to end breast cancer forever. Breast cancer is one of the most common type of cancers found in women. The research center holds a “Race for a Cure” run yearly to raise money for breast cancer patients. They not only fund research in the United States, but 17 other countries as well. The Komen research program has made a significant progress that has contributed too many import...
As defined by Majure, breast cancer is an “uncontrolled growth of abnormal breast cells” (Majure: 110). It is also one of the cancers that women fear the most. Not only do women get diagnosed with breast cancer, men do too. However, it isn't as bad, or as common, in men as it is in women so doctors don’t recommend screening for men. In the U.S more than one thousand men get affected by breast cancer every year and about two hundred thousand women are affected by breast cancer every year. Women are most likely to get diagnosed with it in their forties and fifties while some may be diagnosed with breast cancer in their twenties, if they started their menstrual cycles at an early age like 14. Typically, men are diagnosed with breast cancer in their sixties or seventies.
...e the cancer and look for the positives in the prognosis and treatment find encouragement for the future. There are various models and theories such as health belief model that are used to explain ones belief on risks and associated risks of a chronic illness and then there are theories such as Crisis theory when dealing with shock when diagnosed with a chronic illness and gate control theory when looking at pain and the psychological issues around dealing with pain. However even with various theories and models trying to explain crisis, pain and compliance to treatment the outcome and understanding and ultimately the way an individual deals with a chronic illness such a breast cancer falls very much down to self-efficacy and the belief the individual holds towards the illness itself the attitude and perception in the outcome of the illness, treatment and beyond.