Janet Lane-Claypon orchestrated the first scientific study of breast cancer during the mid-1920s. Eighty years later, we still lack a full understanding of what exactly causes breast cancer. We do know that all cancers are caused by some kind of damage to the DNA. Exposure to radiation, estrogen hormones, diet, and geography are all elements that could contribute to the mutation of DNA, leading to several kinds of cancer. Our inability to find a cure results from our inability to determine the root cause of breast cancer. The risks of breast cancer increase as women age. Women who are fortunate enough to live to be ninety have a one in seven chance of getting breast cancer. Family history is another important factor. Women whose mothers, grandmothers, and aunts suffered from breast cancer are more likely to experience breast cancer as well.
Symptoms
Regular breast examinations and mammograms are so important because the symptoms of breast cancer are completely painless and difficult to detect. Lumps on the breast, under the arm or above the collarbone that do not go away is one sign. Breast discharge, skin discolorations, and nipple inversion are also warning signs. Please review our guide to self-examinations below.
Treatment
Surgery remains the most popular form of treatment. Hormonal therapy is often used in tandem with surgery. The severity of a patient's condition, whether it be high or low risk, designates the specific cycle of hormonal treatment.
Patients are subjected to X-rays or gamma rays that bombard the cancerous tumors with powerful radiation. This is done using a machine called a linear accelerator. This treatment is often used in conjunction with surgery. Sometimes radiation will be used after surgery to clean up any remaining cancerous material that was not removed by the surgery. Other times, the radiation is used as a precursor to surgery to prepare the area for invasive entry. Radiation treatment is performed for about fifteen minutes each day, for five days a week. This goes on for five to seven weeks. Because normal cells repair themselves much more quickly than cancerous cells, we can use radiation without the risk of permanently damaging normal tissue.
Chemotherapy is also performed before and after surgery. Here are some common types of chemotherapy:
Tamoxifen is used to block estrogen receptors, common in cells, in order to stop the transportation of estrogen between cells.
Aromatase inhibitors lowers the estrogen count in post-menopausal women.
GnRH-analogues can be useful during the early stages of breast cancer.
Ovarian ablation or suppression can be used to stop the ovaries from producing hormones in pre-menopausal women
Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation
The insidiousness of breast cancer is without parallel - affecting over a million people a year worldwide and claiming the lives of women at a rate second only to lung cancer. As women battle for their lives on a daily basis, a grassroots movement to educate the women of the world continues to surge.
Those who are affected by breast cancer know that recovery stems from early detection and proper treatment; and in order to detect symptoms and find effective treatment, women need to have access to up-to-date information; thus evolved the promotion of breast cancer awareness.
Breast cancer awareness encompasses the education and empowerment of women and men worldwide and encourages them to act as advocates for their own care; it includes a comprehensive plan for focusing on the whole person and the many ways in which breast cancer and prevention can be approached.
One of the first components of raising breast cancer awareness includes awareness of education, literacy, and research. There is so much research being done on a daily basis to further the cause of treatment and to one day find a permanent cure. In order for patients and families to feel connected to the process, they must be kept informed as to what advancements have been made.
The breast cancer awareness campaign works to make sufferers and families aware of the places in which to find comprehensive information. In today's age of technology, most people find their information via the Internet; there are a host of reputable and valuable websites that provide a wealth of continually updated information.
Prevention is a large part of awareness and part of the work of the campaign is to make people aware of the ways in which they can prevent breast cancer. This includes making people aware of up-to-date information regarding diet and exercise, as well as the effects of other lifestyle and environmental stressors on the possibility of getting this cancer.
Most importantly, awareness focuses on the importance of screening for early detection so that treatment options are immediately available to increase the chance of survival and ongoing health. Doctors recommend screenings from 35 years of age and up; more than 50% of diagnosed cases of breast cancer are found in women over the age of fifty. Such screenings include routine gynecological examinations, mammograms, breast ultrasound and, most importantly, breast self-examination. Spreading the message of screenings is especially important in low-income areas where women tend to avoid medical care because of the cost.
Of course, breast cancer awareness also includes knowing where to turn for treatment and what that treatment may entail. In the spirit of providing people with accurate and up-to-date information, many of the websites and other informational centers that feature educational resources, will also include comprehensive information regarding treatment options. This is vitally important for people struggling to make choices regarding their health.
But one of the most important aspects of awareness is reminding the people that are engrossed in the fight that they are a part of a larger community where they can find support and camaraderie.
Breast cancer awareness saves people's lives. It can be the bridge from people - to information. And for those who are faced with a frightening diagnosis and unsure of where to turn, the information imparted through the awareness campaign can be a beacon of hope.
Both Mimi Rothschild & Riley Hendersen are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mimi Rothschild has sinced written about articles on various topics from Types of Cancer. Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.. Mimi Rothschild's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.
Riley Hendersen has sinced written about articles on various topics from Phones, Recreation and Sports and Home Management. For more information on breast cancer try visting . Riley Hendersen's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.
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