Cancer is uncontrollable cell growth in the body. A mass of tissue in the breast, also known as a tumor, usually develops into cancer. Many women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer the older they become or the more weight they gain. Most New York breast cancer and fertility clinic specialists stress the importance of maintaining a healthy weight by performing regular physical activity to lower your chances of getting lumps in your breasts or unattractive skin changes, which are symptoms of breast cancer.
What is breast cancer?
The cells in the human body always replicate when needed to create new cells. However, when the replication is chaotic, this might form a mass of tissue called a tumor. The type (name) of cancer depends on the location of the tumor.
What are the two types of tumors?
· Benign: These tumors consist of average cell growth.
· Cancerous: The replication of abnormal cells is what causes this type of tumor.
In most cases, tumors in specific locations usually grow and affect surrounding tissues. Metastasis is how cancerous cells migrate to other parts of the body to form new tumors.
Who can get breast cancer?
Specific factors increase a person’s likelihood of developing breast cancer. The most common factors include gender and age. Breast cancer popularly affects women, and the older you are, the higher your risk of developing it. Most patients with breast cancer receive the diagnosis after age 50. Examples of breast cancer risk factors that you cannot change include:
· Inherited mutations: Specific genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2 can cause the development of ovarian and breast cancer.
· Personal medical history of benign breast cancer: Conditions like atypical hyperplasia increases a woman’s risk of developing cancerous tumors in the breast tissue.
· Dense breasts: It is difficult to detect tumors using mammograms on breasts with more connective tissue than fatty tissue.
Risk factors that you can change include:
· Living a sedentary lifestyle: Being physically inactive increases your chances of getting breast cancer.
· Hormone replacement therapy: Some treatments involving progesterone or estrogen hormones during menopause can cause cancerous tumors in the breast tissue.
· Drinking alcohol: Excessive alcohol consumption increases the chance of getting breast cancer.
What are the most common types of breast cancer?
There are two main types of breast cancers:
1. Invasive: These tumors usually spread to surrounding tissue, including ducts, lobules, and sometimes lymph nodes.
2. Noninvasive: Dividing cells stay within the ducts.
Examples of the breast cancer types mentioned above are:
· Infiltrating (invasive) ductal carcinoma
· Ductal carcinoma in situ
· Infiltrating (invasive) lobular carcinoma
· Lobular carcinoma in situ
Other types of breast cancers form in other parts, including:
· Angiosarcomas: These tumors occur on the skin.
· Inflammatory breast cancer, which affects the lymph vessels.
· Paget disease of the breast occurs on the skin around the nipple.
· Phyllodes tumors are not always cancerous and usually affect the stroma.
What is the importance of monthly breast self-examination?
Every woman should regularly assess her breasts to become familiar with the monthly changes of the breasts and thus be in a better position to detect symptoms like lumps. It would help if you examined your breasts on the same day each month after menstruation.
Contact Innovation Fertility Preservation and IVF to consult with specialists concerning the signs and symptoms of breast cancer to learn more about what you need to look out for and why early breast cancer detection is crucial for successful treatment.
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