hahaha asked:


I’m 18 yeasr old and i don’t have a history of breast cancer in my family and a few months ago i discovered a pretty large lump in my breast, maybe a little bigger than a quarter and for the past couple weeks, the breast with the lump in it has itched like crazy… it started just around my nipple and now its all over. Is there any reason to be concerned? I’m pretty scared. any answers will help thank you.

NuR asked:


If the male has no history of breast cancer in his family?
Bingo, I know they CAN, but what’s the likelyhood?

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer women face second only to lung cancer, however it is the most feared cancer or disease for most women. It occurs in about 12% of women who will live to the age of 90. Several well established factors increase the risk of breast cancer and they include family history, nulliparity (not having had children), early menarche (starting menstrual cycles early), advanced age and a personal history of breast cancer. Other risks include exposure to environmental toxins such as tobacco smoke that increase the chance for cancer growth. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society has many activities this month to bring this to the public attention.

Early education on self-breast exam and early screening is extremely important in achieving good outcomes. Self-exam and physician examination will detect cancer at a rate between 70 – 80%. Adding screening mammography (mammograms) will increase detection to 96 – 98%. It has been shown that early detection through clinical exam and mammography can reduce breast carcinoma mortality by 20 to 30%. Today’s gold standard for screening (mammograms) will still miss between 10 and 15% of neoplasm.

Therefore, if a clinically noted mass is followed by a negative mammogram the work up should then include a breast ultrasound and/or a fine needle aspiration cytology and close interval examinations. The modality of Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI) is a method of examining the breasts that is far more sensitive in picking up smaller tumor than Mammogram. MRI is widely used in Europe but has not taken on in the US yet. It is more expensive as a screening tool in the USA, but since it is so widely used in Europe it is actually less expensive there. Even with open biopsies of suspicious masses the diagnosis of a malignancy is one in about five biopsies performed. This may seem costly but the morbidity and mortality of missing a malignancy is even more so.

Screening should start with a baseline mammogram at age 35, or younger if there is a strong family history. Annual examinations should be performed once a woman reached 40 years of age, and self examination should be encouraged monthly starting at the age of twenty. Disease prevention & early screenings is the mainstay of a preventive medical practice despite the somewhat conservative recommendations made by medical specialty societies and the managed care industry. Oftentimes the risk-benefit ratio for cancer screening has the dollar as it’s bottom line, but if you are the unfortunate patient to have a cancer that was not detected early, then all the statistics in the world will not matter to you. My philosophy is to pay a little more in time and money upfront to assure a disease free state.

An important thing for women to remember is a positive family history alone increased lifetime risk of cancer to about 25%, that is double the incidence of no such history. Recently the interest has focused on cancers associated with germ line (inherited) genetic mutations. While approximately 5 – 10% of all breast cancer sufferers have a mutation in BRCA1 gene (located on chromosome 17) and BRCA2 gene (located on chromosome 13), this type of screening should only be done when a first degree relative with know cancer and a positive mutation is detected or whether a women falls into a certain ethnic group. Women who have inherited a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a relatively high lifetime risk of breast cancer (about 50-85%). Risk for cancer in the opposite breast of a woman with a BRCA1 mutation is about 25%. In such cases genetic screening may be advocated. Once a tumor is detected important prognostic determiners as stage of the disease, histology and nuclear grade, estrogen and progesterone receptor status and HER2/neu gene amplification tests are advisable.

For more information on Breast Cancer the following websites are helpful: [http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cancernet/] and www3.cancer.org/cancerinfo. Also a call to the American Cancer Society at (800) ACS-2345 can be of help. To conclude, it is extremely important for women to maintain annual physical exams and aggressive cancer screening regiments. There are means to help prevent cancer in those women who seem predisposed. Screening is one thing, but taking measures to help prevent cancer growth is yet another. There are things women do on a daily basis that can increase their chances for breast cancer (and other cancers) that they are not aware. The programs advocated at my center are based on lifestyle modification, prevention, early detection, natural hormone replacement and nutritional medicine. Women should take a proactive approach to the breast cancer issue, for it may save their lives. This topic is one that is close to my heart, as my ex-wife is a breast cancer survivor.

Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention

By JP Saleeby, MD

By: JP Saleeby, MD

About the Author:

[carpwp:amazon{breast cancer}][/carpwp]

asked:


my family has a history of breast cancer and i dont wanna get it my doctor says it is genetic so is there anyway i can prevent it?
*and im not “trolling” about this i dislike trolls

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women affecting one in eight women during their lives. It may develop at any time but the risk of developing it increases as women get older. It is far more common in post-menopausal women and the risk continues to increase with rising age.

CAUSE
The cause of breast cancer is not known and while it can also occur in men, the much higher occurrence in women implicates estrogen.

Today, breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, is considered to be the final outcome of multiple environmental and hereditary factors. Breathing secondhand smoke increases breast cancer risk by 70% in younger, primarily pre-menopausal women.
A newly released study indicates a correlation between the drop in breast cancer and the drop in women taking HRT.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Breast cancer elicits so many fears, including those relating to surgery, death, loss of body image and loss of sexuality, however it is more easily treated and often curable if it is found early, therefore regular self examination and screening is essential. Breast cancer usually shows as a lump or thickening in the breast tissue, although most breast lumps are not cancerous.

Certain predisposing factors are clear.

Women at high risk are those who:

Have a family history of breast cancer.
Have long menstrual cycles, began menses early or menopause late.
Have never been pregnant
Were first pregnant after age 31.
Have had unilateral breast cancer.
Have endometrial or Ovarian cancer.
Were exposed to low level ionizing radiation.

Many other possible factors are still under investigation including, obesity, alcohol and environmental factors.

Those with lower risk include women who:

Were pregnant before age 20.
Have had multiple pregnancies.
Are native American or Asian.

Breast cancer occurs more often in the left breast and in the upper quadrant.
Indications of breast cancer other than a lump may include changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous single-nipple discharge.

TYPES
When breast cancer cells invade the dermal lymphatics, small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast, its presentation can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain, swelling, warmth and redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange peel texture to the skin referred to as peau d’orange.

The most common pathologic types of breast cancer are invasive ductal carcinoma, malignant cancer in the breast’s ducts, and invasive lobular carcinoma, malignant cancer in the breast’s lobules.
Occasionally, breast cancer presents as metastatic disease, that is, cancer that has spread beyond the original organ. Bone or joint pains can sometimes be manifestations of metastatic breast cancer, as can jaundice or neurological symptoms.

TREATMENT
Much controversy still exists over treatment of breast cancer, options include; Surgery , chemotherapy, Radiotherapy,Hormonal therapies,Herceptin and complementary treatments.

The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery when the tumor is localized, with possible adjuvant hormonal therapy (with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor), chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy.

In February 2007, the MammaPrint test became the first breast cancer predictor to win formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration. This is a new gene test to help predict whether women with early-stage breast cancer will relapse in 5 or 10 years, this could help influence how aggressively the initial tumor is treated.

Interstitial laser thermotherapy (ILT) is an innovative method of treating breast cancer in a minimally invasive manner and without the need for surgical removal, and with the absence of any adverse effect on the health and survival of the patient during intermediate followup.

PREVENTION
Routine (annual) mammography of women older than age 40 or 50 is recommended by numerous organizations as a screening method to diagnose early breast cancer and has demonstrated a protective effect in multiple clinical trials.

Women with one or more first-degree relatives (mother, sister, daughter) with premenopausal breast cancer should begin screening at an earlier age.

PROGNOSIS
There are many prognostic factors associated with breast cancer: staging, tumour size and location, grade, whether disease is systemic (has metastasized, or traveled to other parts of the body), recurrence of the disease, and age of patient.

With advances in screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the death rate for breast cancer has declined by about 20% over the past decade, and research is ongoing to develop even more effective screening and treatment programs.

By: Dick Aronson

About the Author:

[carpwp:amazon{breast cancer}][/carpwp]

From relative obscurity, breast cancer has become one of the leading causes of deaths among women in the world. In 2001, about 200,000 cases of breast cancer have been reported in the United States, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in the US. It is, in fact, the most common malignancy problem that is affecting women in North America and Europe today.

But what is breast cancer and how do people get it?

Breast cancer occurs when malignant tumors in the breast grow and start to affect other tissues in the body. There is still no clear indications how tumors are created but what is often observed is that cancerous cells usually comes from ducts or glands.

Although women’s health organizations advise women to massage the breast daily and to feel for any lumps, it may a long time before a cancerous cell get big enough for us to feel it. By that time, it may already be too late. Doctors make use of mammograms for their diagnosis.

Breast at risk

All women are actually at risk, with the risk increasing with the presence of some risk factors that are already part of the natural cycle, for example, aging. Family history of breast cancer can also significantly affect the prognosis as heredity has been found to play a role. Women who got their periods before they were 12 years old and those who never had or had children after 30 years old are also more likely to develop breast cancer.

There are also risk factors that medical science can help alter such as hormonal problems through replacement therapies. Women are also advised to decrease their consumption of alcoholic drinks, exercise every day and decrease the use of birth control pills. Breastfeeding has been found to decrease the risk of breast cancer development.

Although there are some factors that women can avoid to prevent breast cancer from developing, cause and effect relationships between these factors and breast cancer is still debatable. For women who are already at high risk, doctors often recommend a drug called Tamoxifen, which is known to decrease the risk by as much 50 percent when taken in five years. Still, like all medications, Tamoxifen has side effects such as hot flushes, vaginal discharges and sometimes even blood clots. Taking the drug can also lead to pulmonary emobolus, stroke and uterine cancer, although these are all isolated cases.

Another avenue that women can go to is Vitamin A, which some studies show to be effective in decreasing the risk. Still, research is still in the initial stages and nothing has been proven yet. Other things that are being linked to the breast cancer fight are phytoestrogens, which can be found in soya, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.

But until something concrete is found in research, the only thing that women can do to ensure that they are safe from breast cancer is early detection. This can be done through daily self-examinations as well as annual check ups and mammogram tests. It is also important that women know the beginnings of breast cancer. Here are some of the signs that they should watch out for.

Lumps in the breast and in the underarms

Scaling of the skin of the breast and of the nipple

Redness in the skin of the breast and of the nipple

Changes in the size of their breasts

Discharges from the nipple

If these signs are observed, it is best to consult a specialist so that you can know whether you have breast cancer or not.

By: Robert Thatcher

About the Author:

Sarah F. asked:


I was in the shower today and I noticed that I have a lump in my breast. It’s not really near the surface, but it’s in the upper part of my breast and towards my side a little. It hurts to apply pressure to my breast. My family has no history of breast cancer, that I am aware of. I moved out of state 6 months ago, and have no medical, so this would be a huge inconvenience right now. Is it possible I could have it? Any advice?

n of breast cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer may help save your life. When the disease is discovered early, you have more treatment options and a better chance for a cure.

A lump or thickening in the breast or armpit

A change in the size or shape of the breast

Discharge from the nipple

A change in the color or texture of the skin of the breast or areola (such as dimpling, puckering, or scaliness).

Breast discharge is a common problem and is rarely a symptom of cancer. Discharge is most concerning if it is from only one breast or if it is bloody. In any case, all breast discharge should be evaluated.

A change in the shape of your nipple, particularly if it turns in, sinks into the breast or becomes irregular in shape

A blood-stained discharge from the nipple

A rash on a nipple or surrounding area

A swelling or lump in your armpit

Causes of Breast Cancer

Age: The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. Most cases of breast cancer occur in women over 60.

Personal history of breast cancer: A woman who had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting cancer in her other breast.

Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. About 1 out of 8 invasive breast cancer diagnoses are among women younger than 45, while about 2 out of 3 women with invasive breast cancer are age 55 or older when they are diagnosed.

Recently published research shows that a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is also affected by breast density and whether she has used hormone therapy; including these additional risk factors in a breast cancer risk assessment tool might increase its accuracy, but researchers still need to validate these additional factors with data from independent studies

Family history: If a woman’s blood-related relatives on either her mother or father’s side of the family have had breast cancer, then she is at increased risk for the disease. Having a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) with breast cancer can double a woman’s risk.

Breast Cancer Treatments

Surgery

The goals of breast cancer surgery are to remove the cancerous tissue, and to analyze it for type, grade, size, hormonal status, and possible metastasis.

Frozen sections. Mayo Clinic has the benefit of its unique frozen section pathology lab, which allows for rapid and accurate microscopic analysis of tissue while a patient is still in the operating room. This capability allows doctors to know whether they have removed all of the cancer (achieved negative margins) within minutes of removing the tissue. Without frozen section analysis, determining whether all of the cancer has been removed may take days, causing a patient to undergo multiple surgeries.

Breast Reconstruction

Many women choose to have a plastic surgeon reconstruct their breast, either at the time of mastectomy or afterward. The surgeon may use saline-filled implants and/or tissue from other parts of the body to rebuild a natural looking breast and nipple. Reconstruction should be discussed with a plastic surgeon before you have your mastectomy. California law requires that insurers cover the costs of breast reconstruction.



By: peterhutch

About the Author:

Silvia.D. asked:


I have a family history of breast cancer and would like to know if this is bad? I have to go for a biopsy on 1/13/09 and am very concerned.