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Understanding breast cancer and risk factors for developing breast cancer


Anatomy of the breasts
It is important to understand the structure and location of the breasts and the structures connecting the breasts to the rest of the body enabling them to function as glands.

The breasts are gland-containing organs situated on the front of the chest. Each breast consists of 15 to 20 lobes, which are sections of glandular tissue that together make up the breast as a whole. Within the lobes are many smaller sections called lobules. Lobules contain groups of tiny glands that can produce milk. Milk flows from the lobules through thin tubes called ducts to the nipple. The nipple is in the center of a dark area of skin called the areola. Fat fills the spaces between the lobules and ducts.

The tissue and glands of the breast are connected to the rest of the body via lymph and blood vessels (arteries and veins). Lymph vessels are similar to blood vessels. However, they contain lymphatic fluid, a type of body fluid that contains white blood cells, the immune cells that defend the body against infection and disease. These lymph vessels lead to small, round organs called lymph nodes, sometimes called lymph glands. Some groups of lymph nodes are situated near the breast in the axilla (underarm). Other lymph nodes are situated in locations near the breast including above the collarbone and in the chest behind the breastbone. The lymph nodes trap bacteria, cancer cells, or other harmful substances and, therefore, are involved in the body's immune response to disease.

In 2007 the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that breast cancer is the most common cancer to be diagnosed in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women after lung and bronchial cancer. Also according to the ACS one in eight American women are at risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. Scientists are studying breast cancer to learn more about its causes, and they are looking for better ways to prevent, find, and treat it.

Cancer is a disease that begins in cells, the building blocks that form the tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes, this orderly process breaks down. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are not cancer:

Benign tumors are rarely life threatening; however, sometimes they may cause damage to surrounding tissue through pressure and therefore need to be removed.
Generally, if a benign tumor is removed, it usually does not grow back.
Cells from benign tumors do not invade the tissues around them.
Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.
Malignant tumors are cancer:

Malignant tumors are more serious than benign tumors. They may be life threatening.
Malignant tumors often can be removed. But sometimes they grow back.
Cells from malignant tumors can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs.
Cells from malignant tumors can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Cancer cells spread by breaking away from the original (primary) tumor and entering the blood vessels or lymphatic vessels that connect organs to the rest of the body. The cells invade other organs and form new tumors that damage these organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.
When breast cancer cells spread, the cancer cells are often found in the lymph nodes near the breast such as under the armpit or above the collarbone. Also, breast cancer can spread to almost any other part of the body via blood and lymph vessels. The most common places for breast cancer cells to spread to are the bones, liver, lungs, and brain. When breast cancer cells spread, new foci of tumors arise, and these new tumors have the same abnormal cells and the same name as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is metastatic breast cancer, not bone cancer, because the disease started with a tumor originally in the breast that spread to the bones. For this reason, it is treated as breast and not bone cancer. The new tumor in the bone is also called "distant" or metastatic disease.



Risk factors
No one knows the exact cause of breast cancer. Often there is no explanation for why one woman develops breast cancer and another woman does not. Research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of developing a disease.



Research studies have found the following risk factors for breast cancer:

Age: The chance of getting breast cancer increases as a woman ages. Most cases of breast cancer occur in women over 60. This disease is not common before menopause.
Personal history of breast cancer: A woman who had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting cancer in her other breast.
Family history: A woman's risk of breast cancer is higher if her mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer. The risk is higher if her family member got breast cancer before age 40. Having other relatives with breast cancer (in either her mother's or father's family) may also increase a woman's risk.
Certain breast changes: Some women have cells in the breast that look abnormal under a microscope. Having certain types of abnormal cells (atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ [LCIS]) increases the risk of breast cancer.
Gene changes: Changes in certain genes increase the risk of breast cancer. These genes include BRCA1, BRCA2, and others. Tests can sometimes show the presence of specific gene changes in families with many women who have had breast cancer. Healthcare providers may suggest ways to try to reduce the risk of breast cancer or to improve the detection of this disease in women who have these changes in their genes. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) offers publications on gene testing.
Reproductive and menstrual history:
The older a woman is when she has her first child, the greater her chance of breast cancer.
Women who had their first menstrual period before age 12 are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
Women who went through menopause after age 55 are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
Women who never had children are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
Women who take certain types of hormone therapy after menopause may have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Large, well-designed studies have shown no link between abortion or miscarriage and breast cancer.
Race: Breast cancer is diagnosed more often in white women than in Latina, Asian, or African-American women.
Radiation therapy to the chest: Women who had radiation therapy to the chest (including breasts) before age 30 are at an increased risk of breast cancer. This includes women treated with radiation for Hodgkin's lymphoma. Studies show that the younger a woman was when she received radiation treatment, the higher her risk of breast cancer later in life.
Breast density: Breast tissue may be dense (thick) or fatty. Older women whose mammograms (breast x-rays) show more dense tissue are at increased risk of breast cancer.
Taking DES (diethylstilbestrol): DES was given to some pregnant women in the US between about 1940 and 1971. (It is no longer given to pregnant women.) Women who took DES during pregnancy may have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. The possible effects on their daughters is being studied.
Being overweight or obese after menopause: The chance of getting breast cancer after menopause is higher in women who are overweight or obese.
Lack of physical activity: Women who are physically inactive throughout life may have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being active may help reduce risk by preventing weight gain and obesity.
Drinking alcohol: Studies suggest that the more alcohol a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer.
Other possible risk factors are under study. Many risk factors can be avoided. Others, such as family history, cannot. Women can help protect themselves by avoiding known risk factors whenever possible.

But it is also important to keep in mind that most women who have known risk factors do not get breast cancer. Also, most women with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease. In fact, except for growing older, most women with breast cancer have no clear risk factors.

If you think you may be at risk, you should discuss this concern with your healthcare professional. He or she may be able to suggest ways to reduce your risk and can plan a schedule for checkups (usually with screening or checkup mammograms).

Researchers are also studying the effect of diet, physical activity, and genetics on breast cancer risk and whether certain substances in the environment can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Diet
Several studies have suggested that eating a high-fat diet may increase the risk of breast cancer; other studies have not found this to be so. Still, because a high-fat diet is associated with an increased risk of other cancers and heart disease, it's a good idea to limit the amount of fat you eat.

Alcohol
Some studies suggest that drinking alcohol on a regular basis may increase your risk for breast cancer. Like the diet evidence, these studies have also been confusing, and further studies are needed.

Genes
Up to 10% of breast cancers are believed to be inherited. In 1994, researchers found a gene called BRCA1, or breast cancer 1. Although we all carry this gene, it may be defective in one in 400 women, and this gene mutation may be responsible for half of all cases of hereditary breast cancer. Women who carry the mutated gene have an 85% chance of developing breast cancer, often before they turn 50.

Researchers have also found a second breast cancer gene, BRCA2, which they believe is responsible for about 5% of inherited breast cancers. And they expect to find several more breast cancer genes in the coming years.

Hormones
Several hormonal factors increase your risk for breast cancer. If you began to menstruate early, if you enter menopause late (after age 55), or if you have a first child after age 30 or don't have children at all, you have a higher risk. And all of these factors are in some way linked to the female hormone estrogen. Breast cancer has also been associated with the use of hormone therapy after menopause. Most healthcare providers believe that the increased risk of breast cancer from taking hormone therapy is small, compared with some of the benefits it can bring like relief of hot flashes and an increased feeling of well-being. However, because of the research evidence that exists for a link between hormone therapy and breast cancer risk, you should talk to your healthcare professional if you are considering taking hormone therapy.

 

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[SHAYAN]

Nyx....

 

[Lucky]

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[(¯*♥¤»ƙɧՄՏɧՅԾԾ«¤♥*¯)]

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[!«╬Ĵamil Malik╬«!]

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[RANA SHAHID HUSSAIN]

Nice Sharing

 

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TEARS OF PAIN

[*NRB*]

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[Abewsha]

nice Sharing.......................