BREAST CANCER INSIGHT,UNKNOWN FACTS AND PRECAUTIONS

Breast cancer is a type of cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. [ 1 ] Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas , while those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas . Breast cancer occurs in humans and other mammals . While the overwhelming majority of human cases occur in women, male breast cancer can also occur. [ 2 ]The size, stage, rate of growth, and other characteristics of a breast cancer determine the kinds of treatment. Treatment may include surgery , drugs ( hormonal therapy and chemotherapy ), radiation and/or immunotherapy . [ 3 ] Surgical removal of the tumor provides the single largest benefit, with surgery alone curing many cases. To increase the likelihood of cure, several chemotherapy regimens are commonly given in addition to surgery. Radiation is used after breast-conserving surgery and substantially improves local relapse rates and in many circumstances also overall survival. [ 4 ] Some breast cancers are sensitive to hormones such as estrogen and/or progesterone , which makes it possible to treat them by blocking the effects of these hormones. Worldwide, breast cancer accounts for 22.9%of all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers ) in women. [ 5 ] In 2008, breast cancer caused 458,503 deaths worldwide (13.7% of cancer deaths in women). [ 5 ] Breast cancer is more than 100 times more common in women than in men , although men tendS to have poorer outcomes due to delays in diagnosis. [ 6 ] Prognosis and survival rates for breast cancer vary greatly depending on the cancer type, stage, treatment, and geographical location of the patient. Survival rates in the Western world are high; [ 6 ] for example, more than 8 out of 10 women (84%) in England diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least 5 years. [ 8 ] In developing countries, however, survival rates are much poorer.Early signs of breast cancer The first noticeable symptom of breast cancer is typically a lump that feels differentfrom the rest of the breast tissue. More than 80% of breast cancer cases are discovered when the woman feels a lump. [ 9 ] The earliest breast cancers are detected bya mammogram . [ 10 ] Lumps found in lymph nodes located in the armpits [ 9 ] can also indicate breast cancer. Indications of breast cancer other than a lump may include thickening different from the other breast tissue, one breast becominglarger or lower, a nipple changing position or shape or becoming inverted, skin puckering or dimpling, a rash on or around a nipple, discharge from nipple/s, constant pain in part of the breast or armpit, and swelling beneath the armpit or around the collarbone. [ 11 ] Pain (" mastodynia ") is an unreliable tool in determining the presence or absence of breast cancer, but may be indicative of other breast health issues. [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 12 ] Inflammatory breast cancer is a particular type of breast cancer which can pose a substantial diagnostic challenge. Symptoms may resemble a breast inflammation and mayinclude itching, pain, swelling, nipple inversion, warmth and redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange-peel texture to the skin referred to as peau d'orange ; [ 9 ] the absence of a discernible lump delays detection dangerously. Another reported symptom complex of breastcancer is Paget's disease of the breast . This syndrome presents as eczematoid skin changes such as redness and mild flaking of the nipple skin. As Paget's advances, symptoms may include tingling, itching, increased sensitivity, burning, and pain. There may also be discharge from the nipple.Approximately half of women diagnosed with Paget's also have a lump in the breast. [ 13 ] In rare cases, what initially appears as a fibroadenoma (hard movable lump) could in fact be a phyllodes tumor. Phyllodes tumors are formed within the stroma (connective tissue) of the breast and contain glandular as well as stromal tissue. Phyllodes tumors are not staged in the usual sense; they are classified on the basis of their appearance under the microscope as benign, borderline, or malignant. [ 14 ] Occasionally, breast cancer presents as metastatic disease, that is, cancer that has spread beyond the original organ. Metastaticbreast cancer will cause symptoms that depend on the location of metastasis. Common sites of metastasis include bone, liver, lung and brain. [ 15 ] Unexplained weight loss can occasionally herald an occultbreast cancer, as can symptoms of fevers or chills. Bone or joint pains can sometimes be manifestations of metastatic breast cancer, as can jaundice or neurological symptoms. These symptoms are called non-specific , meaning they could be manifestations of many other illnesses. [ 16 ] Most symptoms of breast disorders, including most lumps, do not turn out to represent underlying breast cancer. Less than 20% of lumps for example are cancer [ 17 ] and benign breast diseases such as mastitis and fibroadenoma of the breast are more common causes of breast disorder symptoms. Nevertheless, the appearance of a new symptom should be taken seriously by both patients and their doctors, because of the possibility of an underlying breast cancer at almost any age. [ 18 ]

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