What is Breast Cancer?
There is a large amount of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer every day but
they usually do not know a lot about it in terms of how it forms and the many ways it can be
treated. Breast cancer is a very serious disease that shouldn’t be taken lightly; if it is left
untreated it can spread to other organs and eventually kill you. Even if you do not have breast
cancer, chances are that you know or will know someone who will get it, so it is imperative that
people understand how breast cancer forms, know the stages of breast cancer, be familiar with
who gets breast cancer and how you can possibly avert it, and understand all of the different
ways to treat the cancer and prevent it from coming back.
Breast cancer always begins with a tumor much like most other forms of cancer. As
normal body cells, or DNA, grow and divide, abnormalities occur sometimes but in normal
incidences those cells are detected by the body or ribosome so the cell then repairs itself or it will
disable the DNA and die. Body cells develop and divide often during the early stages of life,
after that cells only divide when there are cells to replace from dying or worn out cells from
injuries or viruses. Cancer cells develop from damage in DNA. Cancer cells are not detected as
“abnormal,” therefore, they continue to grow and divide without being destroyed by the body.
Cancer cells have a damaged ability to bond to one another which means that the cells can’t tell
each other to stop dividing when there are too many of them; they just keep trying to fill the
space which results in a mass of cells forming a tumor. A tumor can either be malignant or
benign. A malignant tumor continues to grow and divide rapidly and it may become life
threatening if not taken care of properly. Malignant tumors sometimes metastasize meaning that
the cancer cells can grow and travel to other parts of the body replacing normal cell tissue.
Benign tumors grow less rapidly and are not a threat unless it continues to grow, and then the
tumor must be removed. According to the American Cancer Society the second leading cause of
death in America among women is breast cancer. 175,000 women and 1,300 men in America die
in a year from this type of cancer; thankfully because of modern medicine this number is
declining. There are various stages of breast cancer. Stage zero means that there isn’t any
indication of cancer cells that have penetrated or attacked adjacent normal cell tissue. This stage
best describes non-invasive breast cancer. Stage one on the other hand better illustrates invasive
breast cancer; that means that the cancer cells have actually broken through and have begun
invading some of the adjacent normal cell tissue. Tumors in this stage measure up to about two
centimeters; the lymph nodes are not involved in the spreading of the cancer. Stage two of breast
cancer is also an invasive form of cancer; in this stage the tumor has grown to at least 2
centimeters and is no more than five centimeters big. The cancer has metastasized to the lymph
nodes under the armpit on the side of the tumor, but the lymph nodes have not yet stuck together
or affected surrounding tissues. Stage three can be divided into two different categories. They
are both invasive, but the first one describes a tumor that is larger than five centimeters or the
tumor has spread to the lymph nodes and they are sticking to each other or the surrounding
tissue. The second one describes a tumor of any size that has spread to the skin, wall, or internal
mammary lymph nodes of the breast; it also includes a rare form of cancer called inflammatory
breast cancer that is very aggressive. Inflammatory breast cancer is distinguished by the redness
of the tumor or whole breast; the skin may also form welts or hives as a result of the cancer. In
the final stage, stage four, the tumor has spread even further past the breast, underarm, and
internal mammary lymph nodes.
Anyone is susceptible to breast cancer. Contrary to popular belief that cancer can be
inherited, only about 5 to 10% of people with breast cancer have actually inherited the cancer.
The remaining 90% of breast cancer victims have acquired it due to genetic abnormalities either
from aging, the use of carcinogens, or simply the process of life. Although all women are at risk
of getting breast cancer, the age group of women diagnosed with breast cancer usually fall in the
45-55 range. The use of or being around carcinogens such a cigarette smoke dramatically
increases a woman's risk of getting breast cancer. There are a few things that could reduce the
risk of getting cancer; don't smoke, exercise for a minimum of three to four hours a week, reduce
your amount of stress, enhance comfort, satisfaction, joy, meditate often, practice yoga, don't
drink, cut down on red meats or become a vegetarian all together, and avoid any products that
have estrogen in them.
There are many treatments and medicines are now available for stopping cancer, reducing
the risk of reoccurring cancer, and for slowing down the growth process. One option is to have
surgery to remove the tumor; this will cut out the source of the cancer and hopefully reduce the
risk for it to spread. A lumpectomy will get rid of the cancerous lump along with some
surrounding tissue to ensure that the full lump and cells have been removed. A mastectomy is a
full removal of the breast. Radiation uses high-energy rays directed at the source of cancer, the
tumor, to inhibit any more growth and in fact it shrinks the tumor and reduces the pain in the
breast along with bleeding. The problem with radiation is that it not only kills the cancer cells,
but it kills the regular cells as well. After radiation the normal cells usually bounce right back,
they repair themselves and divide. About 50% of cancer patients use this type of treatment.
Chemotherapy is another form of treatment that is often used in addition with radiation.
Chemotherapy can be taken in the form of a pill, or it can be injected. As the chemical travels
into the blood stream it prevents growth of cancerous cells and tumors all over the body, not just
at the current source of cancer. There is also drug therapy available. This is often taken after
other treatments have been made to ensure the cancer will not come back. They slow growth of
cancer cells and block estrogen from coming into the breast. Some examples of this medicine
include tamoxifin, herceptin, ellence, taxol, decetaxel, and aromasin. Sometimes doctors decide
to remove the lymph nodes under the armpit and into the breast to determine if the cancer has
metastasized.
Many things can contribute to the formation of breast cancer, but the actual cause is still
unknown although we have found out some things that can possibly reduce the risk of getting
breast cancer such as living a healthy life, exercise, and staying away from carcinogens. Doctors
have now figured out what cancer does to the body and they have found may treatments that can
cure the cancer, if not at least slow it down. It is very important that people are informed on
what the different treatments are so that if you or someone close to you gets cancer, you have a
general idea of what treatments are available. More and more people are diagnosed with breast
cancer every day, but the good news is that the death rate has decreased due to advancements in
technology.