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Diagnosing Cancer of the Breast
There has been a lot of information regarding breast cancer, but despite this
breast cancer is still one of the biggest reasons for mortality amongst women.
It is estimated that a new case of breast cancer is diagnosed every three
minutes and that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed within their lifetime.
Breast Cancer, what is it?
Breast cancer can arise in different ways. The most common begins in duct
linings and is called ductal carcinoma. As with other cancers, breast cancer
arises from cells that begin dividing out of control. The dividing gives rise to
mass of tissues called tumors. Some of these tumors are not cancerous (referred
to as benign) however, in some cases the tumor is cancerous (and is referred to
as malignant).
Diagnosis
Eighty percent of breast cancers occur with women over the age of 50. As a women
ages the risk of cancer increases. As with all cancers early diagnosis is the
best way to survive and treat the disorder.
The best way to diagnosis breast cancer is with the aid of a mammogram. This low
radiation dose x-ray, allows the physician to view growth that would otherwise
be difficult to view. The physician can also refer back to a series of past
x-rays for comparison (to see if changes occur over time). Current advances in
mammography allow for computer enhancement of tissues thought to be cancerous
(this makes diagnosing easier). This is referred to as Computer Aided Diagnosis
(or CAD).
Though routine self-exams is a good thing it should not take the place of seeing
your physician and having a routine breast exam. In fact the early stages of the
cancer do not show any symptoms. As the cancer grows changes can be felt in the
size and shape of the breast, feeling of a lump or thickening around the breast
or underarm area, nipple tenderness or unusual discharge (there is also an
instance where the nipple is pulled back – referred to as a nipple inversion),
there can also be a pitting (or ridges) on the breast – like the skin or an
orange.
Treatment
As with other cancers treatment usually consists with either chemotherapy,
hormone therapy, radiation or surgery – or a combination thereof.
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