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Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a cancer that occurs in the tissues of the breast.
It involves a group of abnormal cells which start to have abnormal
growth patterns. It is a illness which is found primarily in women,
although approximately 1% of breast cancer occurs in men.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer that occurs in women
and following lung cancer, it is the second leading cause of cancer
death in females. 184,200 new cases of breast cancer were reported
in the year 2000 by the American Cancer Society, and this figure
appears to be rising on a yearly basis.
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The breasts in women are a complicated piece of machinery
which consist of glands, fat and connective fibrous tissue. They have
several lobes, divided into lobules which end in the milk glands. There are
tiny ducts which from the numerous tiny glands and after connecting
together, end in the nipple.
Eighty percent of
breast cancer cases occur in these ducts, and this condition is known as
infiltrating ductal cancer. Cancer which develops in the lobules is known as
lobular cancer and approximately 10-15% of breast cancers are this type of
cancer. Other types of cancers are known as
inflammatory breast cancer.
Changes such as
precancerous changes (known as in situ) are also common in women. These are
changes which have not spread from the place in the breast where they
started. When these changes do occur within the ducts, the condition is
known as ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS. When they occur in the lobules,
they are known as lobular carcinomas in situ or LCIS. Routine mammography
routinely diagnoses DCIS.
The most serious types
of breast cancer are known as metastatic cancer. This type of cancer
involves the spread of the cancer from the place where it began. It most
commonly metastasizes into the lymph nodes above the collarbone or under the
arms on the same side of the cancer. This results in pain and swelling to
the affected area as the lymphatic drainage system is then compromised.
Other common sites of breast cancer metastasis include the brain, liver and
the bones.
Approximately 50% of
women who develop breast cancer do not have any risk factors apart from age
and their gender. Due to the fact breast cancer occurs mostly in women,
their sex is the biggest risk factor.
Another critical factor is age. Although breast cancer can and does
occur at any age, the risk of developing it increases as you get older.
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A normal woman aged 30 will usually have a 1 in 280 chance
of developing breast cancer during the next ten years of her life.
This then increases to a probable 1 in 70 chance of developing
breast cancer when she reaches the age of 40 to 50 years.
The risk factor for breast cancer is also affected by family
history. This risk is at its highest if a close relative has
developed cancer of the breast at a young age. The risk increases
further if the relative is close such as a mother, aunt or daughter.
There has recently been found what is thought to be a cancer gene
which can be passed down from mother to daughter. |
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