Recognizing And Battling Breast Cancer
Breast cancer occurs due to the irrepressible growth of cells in the breast that invades the nearby tissues and spreads throughout the body. These collections of irrepressible growth of tissue are called tumors or malignant tumors. However, not all tumors are cancerous.
Breast cancer has been diagnosed in large numbers in North America and Europe. In 2001, about 200,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the United States alone. Every woman has a 1 in 8 risk of developing breast cancer, but the risk of dying from breast cancer is much lower, barely 1 in 28.
The risk of getting breast cancer is generally higher among older women, women with a family history or previous history of breast cancer, women who had radiation therapy in the chest region, women who started their periods before 12 years old, women who had menopause after 50 years old, women who never had children or had them age 30 or older, or women with genetic mutation. In recent times genetic mutations for breast cancer have become a hot topic of research.
The breast cancer tumor has the following symptoms: lump or thickening that appears on the breast or underarm, changes in the breast's shape, nipple turned inwards followed by colorless discharge, red or scaled skin or nipple, or ridges on the breast skin.
If a woman experiences any of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean she has breast cancer. In such a case she should undergo a breast cancer personal check-up. It is estimated that 95% of breast cancer is detected through personal check-up. The breast cancer personal check-up includes checking for lumps in the breasts after each menstrual period, puckering the skin, and checking for nipple retraction or discharge. For consistent result, every woman should do a breast cancer personal check-up at the same time every month. Various other techniques such as mammography, thermography, ultrasonography, computerized tomography scan etc, can also help detect breast cancer.
Breast cancer treatments include surgery that removes cancerous tissues, with breast conservation therapy (BCT) being one such surgery. Other breast cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and biologic therapy. Radiotherapy is a common breast cancer treatment, and radiation treatment and chemotherapy may follow surgery to ensure the destruction of the stray cancer cells.
Even after undergoing many or all of these breast cancer treatment measures, unfortunately almost half the women suffer from a recurrence of the disease.
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If you are searching for ways to battle breast cancer, visit Susan's site at breast-cancer-treatment.info. |
I saw on the news that Sheryl Crow had breast cancer and is calling herself a survivor. She caught it early and, being wealthy, had the best care and doctors and of course she is now cancer free. She didn't really have any trials or hardship. Some of us women aren't so lucky. We lose a breast, go through years of repeated chemotherapy sessions. Lose our hair in thick clumps, feel sick and throw up all the time. Some times it goes away or into regression for a while but, as in my case, it came back with a vengeance. Most of us do not have the expert medical care that Sheryl Crowe does. I can't even afford routine medical care as my husband was laid off and then died from stomach cancer. I don't like the idea of Sheryl Crowe self placating herself as a survivor and our poster child for breast cancer. She didn't really have it. Pick someone whom has gone through one fourth of what I have and am going through with breast cancer to be our spokesperson. Don't misuse it just to sell records and gain free publicity that is false and terrible. Breast cancer is a terrible disease and should not be used to revamp a has beens musicians career.
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