Breast Cancer Overview
Breast Cancer at a Glance
Breast cancer is a condition in which cells in the breast develop uncontrolled. There are various types of breast cancer, and they depend on which cells in the breast become cancerous.
Breast cancer can start in different parts of your breast.
Breast cancer may spread beyond the breast via lymph vessels and blood vessels. When this occurs, the cancer spreads to other parts of your body, it's regarded as having metastasized.
Types of Breast Cancer
The most common types of breast cancer are the following:
- Invasive lobular carcinoma: cancer cells start in the lobules and next spread from the lobules to the nearby breast tissues. They could also spread to other parts of your body.
- Invasive ductal carcinoma: The cancer cells start in the ducts and next grow outside the ducts into other parts of the breast tissue. They may also spread, or metastasize, to other parts of your body.
There exist many other less common types of breast cancer like inflammatory breast cancer, mucinous, Paget's disease, and medullary.
Breast Cancer Causes
Women who are less physically active have a greater risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Being overweight or obese may lead to breast cancer. Older women who are overweight or obese have a greater risk of developing breast cancer as opposed to those at a normal weight. Taking hormones can also contribute to getting breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Signs & Symptoms
Bear in mind that symptoms and signs of breast cancer can vary from person to person. Most common symptoms include:
- Nodes or lumps felt on or inside of the breast
- General pain in/on any part of the breast
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk
- Changes in the look of only one or both nipples
- An increase in size or change in shape of your breast(s)
- Skin changes like redness, swelling, or other observable differences in one or both breasts
Breast Cancer Treatments
Today, there are a number of ways to treat breast cancer. It depends on the type of breast cancer and how advanced it is. Most people with breast cancer often receive more than one type of treatment. Here is a list of the most common treatments:
- Surgery: doctors operate to remove the cancerous tissue.
- Chemotherapy: special medications are used to either reduce or destroy the cancer cells. The drugs may be pills, tablets, or medications administered via your veins with an infusion.
- Hormonal therapy: blocks cancer cells from reaching the hormones they require to grow.
- Biological therapy: works together with the immune system to help it combat cancer cells or to regulate side effects from other cancer-related treatments.
- Radiation therapy: uses high-energy rays to destroy the cancerous cells.
