According to the American Cancer Society, “Breast cancer is the common disease of women in the United States, other than skin cancer.” After lung cancer, it is the leading secondary cause of cancer death in women. It helps to have some basic facts about the normal makeup of the breasts to understand breast cancer. In the past, this disease was one of the most feared forms of cancer due to its fatality rate and because complete recovery often required breast removal. The best way to fight this disease is to have a plan that helps you detect the disease in its early stages. Now, however, treatment options have been expanded and there is a higher probability of full recovery than ever before. Lives can be saved by increasing awareness of breast cancer through education and by providing mammograms for those in needs. Therefore, women can increase their chances of surviving breast cancer if they overcome their fears, receive thorough check-ups, and seek proper treatments.
Now, what is breast cancer? Breast cancer is a condition in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the breast. It is considered a heterogeneous disease differing by their age and even the kinds of cells and tumors themselves. “Evidently no woman wants to hear this diagnosis, but hearing the words “breast cancer” does not always signify a conclusion. It can be the launch of learning how to confront, obtain the facts, and find hope” (ACS, 2010). While, it found predominantly in women, men can be at risk too. It is about 100 times more common in women than in men. Here, I will only talk about breast cancer in women because a woman is more susceptible to this disease.
Each breast contains 15 to 20 sections called lobes. Inside each lobe is several, tiny lobule. L...
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Over the past decade breast cancer has become one of the most predominant diseases in the United States. Breast cancer starts out as a malignant tumor in the tissues of the breast which is formed from the uncontrolled growth of abnormal breast cells. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, but it can also appear in men. (Stephan, 2010)
Breast cancer is most commonly diagnosed in Stage I and Stage II, where the size of the tumor is less than five centimeters in diameter. In these situations, surgery is often the second treatment option after chemotherapy and radiation therapy, both of which are used to shrink the tumor to a manageable size first. If the patient chooses to, the ...
There are many risks that affect breast cancer. One of the reasons it is more common, is because we have better medical equipment that detects breast cancer at an earlier stage than before. An estimated 192,370 new cases of breast cancer will occu...
Vogel, VG (May 2008). Preventing breast cancer in high-risk women, 2008. Oncology, 22, 6. p.666. Retrieved from Academic OneFile
Treatment for primary, localized breast cancer commonly includes surgical interventions based on tumor type, size, and stage. Certain procedures such as a local excision or lumpectomy conserve more of a woman’s breast than others, where only the breast lump and surrounding area of tissue are removed. A mastectomy is a more radical procedure that removes the entire breast. After a mastectomy, some women choose to have breast reconstructive surgery to restore their sense of body integrity (LeMone et al., 2011). Recently, surgical techniques have improved, resulting in less radical and invasive surgeries. The increase in breast conserving surgery has been related to screening mammograms. On average, screening for breast cancer detects tumors in smaller and earlier stages, enabling patients to begin treatment before the cancer advances to more invasive stages (Watts, 2013).
“One in every ten women in the United States will develop breast cancer sometime during her life”. (Breast Care). More than six percent of these cases are linked to hereditary. There are many measures that can be taken to detect breast cancer early in its stages. Women who believe they have a higher risk should have the breast cancer gene testing.
The risks of getting cancer in this day and age has been increasing at a rate that could be detrimental to the human race if we do not act now. It is scary to think that you or someone you love and care about will get some type of cancer in their life time. Although there are many different types of cancer that is in existence today, the main focus is breast cancer. We are going to explore the causes breast cancer, the stages, how we can treat it and what precautions that can be taken to help lower ones risk of getting breast cancer. In America a baby girl born today has a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer sometime in her life. These statistics do not seem so scary until they are put into perspective. Every three minute a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and one will die every 13 minutes in a given day. If these rates of breast cancer continue to rise there will soon be a one in one baby girl born that will et diagnosed with breast cancer. This is the future of our world that we are talking about here and no one seems to be changing the main factors that contribute to breast cancer. There are many different suspicious causes but one thing that is clear is that an unhealthy environment has an enormous impact on women and their development from babies to women.
Society links breast cancer to women, but what about the males in our society? Males have breast tissues,'' Boys' and men's bodies normally do not produce much of the breast stimulating hormones. As a result their breast tissue usually stays flat and small (Breast Cancer,2008). Men usually have mounds of fat breast tissue, but a small percentage can have real breast gland tissue associated from taking certain medications or having an abnormal hormone level (Breast Cancer, 2008). Studies have shown that male breast cancer has increased over 25 years, from 1973-1988 ( American Cancer Society, 2008). As for the year 2005, a total of 1,690 male breast cancer cases were reported ( Breast Cancer, 2008). Male breast cancer is rare, but the diagnoses are rising each year (Giordano,2004).
Breast cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the breast. Breast cancer occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare. Breast cancer is a disease that affects many people yearly. For this reason, it is important to know, what the symptoms are, what the risk factors are, who can get breast cancer, the four main types of breast cancer, th...
Breast cancer is the second leading cancer killer among women, after lung cancer (Breast Cancer , 2014). Cancer is a word that puts fear in many people, especially if they have family members who have either died or survived the disease. No one wants to hear that he or she has been diagnosed with any disease, especially cancer. Many women do not take breast cancer serious until they are diagnosed. Sadly, once diagnosed with this epidemic, a person’s life is altered forever. Breast cancer does not discriminate and can happen to anyone at any age. To prevent this disease, one must take the necessary precautions to lower the risk factors. In fact, there are several local and national events to remind people of breast cancer’s existence. Many people do not know this, but there are numerous ways that they can protect themselves against this disease or find the ailment early enough that it can be treated. If breast cancer is found early enough, it is fairly easy to treat. With today’s technology, most women survive breast cancer. I recently had a friend diagnosed with this illness at age of 40. She has undergone a difficult and exasperating journey as she has lost both breasts and is undergoing chemotherapy at this point. In addition to chemotherapy, other forms of treatment include surgery, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and vaccine therapy. While this disease usually occurs in women, men are also at risk for this ailment. Although, breast cancer can be hereditary, according to research, there are quite a few additional risk factors.
Breast cancer is so prevalent in women because with the development of breasts in young girls during the ages of 11 - 14, breast...
Numerous families here in the United States are affected by breast cancer each year. Some women are affected by this disease for the first time, while others have to re-live this experience. Whether the cancer has returned or is discovered for the first time, breast cancer patients, survivors, and their families, need continuous support. Being diagnosed with this disease is very overwhelming. More awareness should be brought to the fight against breast cancer because the patients, survivors, and their families need increased emotional, physical, and financial support.
“Mrs. Claire Anyanwu has visited her doctor everyday for the past week. She was at the convention last month. Women were encouraged to go for medical checkups. She was luckily diagnosed early enough to be treated of ‘mild breast lumps.’ It is an ailment that could lead to breast cancer. We are happy to see women respond to our awareness programs.” said Dr. Rosa Phil (1). In her article, Dr. Phil commends Mrs. Anyanwu for taking action against breast cancer as she recommends all women do the same.
One out of every eight women in the US is diagnosed with breast cancer every year. As the number of breast cancer patients increases year after year, identification methods and treatments are beginning to advance. When women get older, their chances of developing breast cancer increases. In fact, 80% of all breast cancer patients are women ages 50 and up. The tumor is discovered through either mammography or self-breast examinations. Through these methods, doctors are able to discover the tumor and decide on what treatment is right for each patient. When it comes to treating breast cancer there are multiple treatment options; the type and severity of the cancer help the doctor decide the optimal treatment plan for each
Historically speaking breast cancer has been around for hundreds of years. Thankfully the treatment has improved. Patients who get the cancer removed and take care of themselves after, for example, by exercising and eating healthy, will live longer. There are many risks that increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer, for instance, age, family history, and race. A women who made history with breast cancer was Betty Ford, Betty was one of the first lady’s to speak openly about her disease. Betty encouraged women who have been affected with the disease to go to their doctor as soon as possible and told women who had shared that they didn’t have breast cancer to do self breast exams regularly and get mammograms. She also said when women get diagnosed with it don’t be embarrassed. Treatments in the past were pretty good and quite the same compared to the treatments given to people now, for instance, mastectomy’s which was the primary...