| Breast cancer is the number one disease that | | | | very important to diagnose inflammatory breast |
| women in the United States fear the most, and | | | | cancer quickly so that treatment can begin. After |
| for compelling reasons. It is the leading cause of | | | | surgery, radiation treatment is used to try to kill |
| death among women between 40 and 55 years | | | | any remaining cancer cells. |
| of age and is the second overall cause of death | | | | Possible surgical treatments are either a |
| among women (exceeded only by lung cancer). | | | | mastectomy (complete removal of the breast) or |
| Unfortunately, it is also on the rise worldwide. | | | | breast conserving therapy. Even if a mastectomy |
| According to the American Cancer Society, this | | | | is needed (about 30-40% of patients need this), |
| year about 175,000 new cases of invasive breast | | | | building a new breast, called reconstruction, offers |
| cancer and about 43,300 deaths from breast | | | | a natural looking breast replacement. |
| cancer will occur among women in the USA. | | | | Breast-conserving surgery (which removes only |
| Breast cancer is a rapid, uncontrolled growth of | | | | some of your breast) often works just as well as |
| abnormal cells in one or both breasts. It is | | | | a mastectomy (which removes all of your |
| life-threatening because it quickly spreads to vital | | | | breast). |
| organs. | | | | Mammograms can detect tumors in the earliest |
| The years since World War II have seen a | | | | stages, however, a standard mammogram can |
| tremendous increase in the incidence of breast | | | | miss 15-20% of cancerous tumors. Heightened |
| cancer, so efforts on identifying its causes often | | | | awareness of breast cancer risk in the past |
| focus on changes in our society that have | | | | decades has led to an increase in the number of |
| occurred since then, such as the increased use of | | | | women undergoing mammography for screening, |
| pesticides, the advent of birth control pills, | | | | leading to detection of cancers in earlier stages |
| changes in diet, and different styles and materials | | | | and a resultant improvement in survival rates. |
| in women's clothing. Researchers have identified | | | | Research suggests that routine exercise may help |
| lots of risk factors (such as age, diet, cigarette | | | | prevent breast cancer. No one knows the exact |
| smoking, alcohol intake, and family history), but | | | | causes of breast cancer, but research has shown |
| the specific causes of breast cancer remain | | | | that women with certain risk factors are more |
| elusive. | | | | likely than others to develop the disease. |
| Cancers are divided into different groups, called | | | | Researchers at Stanford University and the |
| stages, based on whether the cancer is invasive | | | | National Institutes of Health, for example, found |
| or non-invasive, the size of the tumor, how many | | | | that high concentrations of the IGF-1 hormone |
| lymph nodes are involved, and whether there is | | | | stimulate cancer cell growth. |
| spread to other parts of the body. The stages | | | | Up to 10 percent of breast cancer patients |
| identify tumor types that have a similar outlook | | | | eventually suffer a recurrence in the other breast. |
| and are treated in a similar way. There are five | | | | Simple mammograms often miss small tumors, |
| main stages of breast cancer. If breast cancer is | | | | the researchers from the American College of |
| detected in its early stages, the 5 year survival | | | | Radiology Imaging Network found, while MRIs |
| rate is greater than 95%. | | | | rarely miss them. |
| Breast cancer is more easily treated and often | | | | The cause of breast cancer is unknown. Early |
| curable if it is found early. Monthly breast | | | | detection of breast cancer is therefore vital as it |
| self-examinations should begin at age 20. | | | | increases the chances of successful treatment. |
| Recommended screening methods include breast | | | | The chance of a woman in her 40s developing |
| self-examination and mammography. A | | | | breast cancer is about one in 70, whereas the |
| mammogram is the most effective way to find | | | | risk of a woman in her 80s developing breast |
| breast cancer early, up to 2 years before the | | | | cancer is one in 25. When breast cancer is |
| lump is even large enough to feel. Sometimes a | | | | confined to the breast the five year survival rate |
| doctor will discover a lump in a woman's breast | | | | is over 95%. For women aged 40-49, the |
| during a routine examination or a patient might | | | | evidence that screening mammography reduces |
| come to the doctor with questions about a lump | | | | mortality from breast cancer is weaker, and the |
| she found. If clinical examination and | | | | absolute benefit of mammography is smaller, than |
| mammography both reveal benign findings, biopsy | | | | it is for older women. |
| may be unnecessary. | | | | The good news is that breast cancer is a disease |
| Treatment for breast cancer usually depends on | | | | that can be treated and cured. More than 90 out |
| the type of cancer and whether the cancer has | | | | of 100 women whose breast cancer is found |
| spread outside of the breast to the rest of the | | | | early will be cured. Cancer found at a later stage, |
| body. Treatment options include surgery, radiation, | | | | however, may be less likely to be cured. While |
| chemotherapy, and endocrine/anti-hormone | | | | there is still no cure for the disease, the experts |
| therapy. Treatment usually starts with anticancer | | | | and leading organizations such as the American |
| drugs, or chemotherapy. The prognosis (chance | | | | Cancer Society, Susan G. Doctors and scientists |
| of recovery) and treatment options depend on | | | | are working on finding cures for all types of |
| the stage of the cancer, the size of the tumor | | | | breast cancer. Finding and treating breast cancer |
| and whether it is in the breast only or has spread | | | | early is the best way to increase your chances of |
| to lymph nodes or other places in the body. It's | | | | survival and cure. |