Receiving news of having breast cancer can be a frightening experience, both for you and your family. Not only do you have to understand how breast cancer happens, but you may also need to explain to your loved ones how it happens as well. Trying to explain breast cancer to a child may be hard for you to approach. However children need to be involved with the process in order to better understand what you are going through. It's important to be honest with a child, rather than trying to protect them from what they may see you going through. According to the American Cancer Society, shielding a child from the discussion of breast cancer may make them more afraid of the situation.
Breast Cancer Facts
Breast cancer mostly afflicts women, yet men are able to develop the cancer as well. According to Kids Health, breast cancer never affects children. Breast cancer is the result of abnormal cell growth within the breast. Our body creates normal cells, and when they die, new ones are formed. However, when a cell becomes abnormal, this cell can replicate, making many new, harmful cells. These new, harmful cells will create a tumor, which will then result in cancer.
How it Happens
Breast cancer can happen for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is genetics. According to the Mayo Clinic, 5 percent to 10 percent of people who get breast cancer develop the cancer due to an inherited gene mutation. This means that if you've had a mother, sister or aunt who has developed breast cancer, then you may develop the cancer as well. Older women are also prone to developing breast cancer. How we choose to eat and live can also be factors in the development of breast cancer. For example, if you smoke, eat fatty foods and drink alcohol, you place yourself at a higher risk for developing breast cancer.
Signs
When a person develops breast cancer, there may be no symptoms. The first indicator of breast cancer may be a lump within the breast. Not all lumps within the breast are cancer. Lumps can be cysts (fluid-filled sacs), scar tissues or changes within the breast as a result of hormonal changes. According to Kids Health, girls who are starting puberty may notice a lump within their breast as they begin to develop. In most circumstances, this is normal.
Diagnosis
There are many ways to diagnose breast cancer. A mammogram can be performed to take an X-ray of the breast tissue. With this specialized X-ray, any abnormal growths within the breast can be found. An MRI can also be used. When you get an MRI, a dye is injected into you, which will allow for images to come up stronger on a computer screen. Magnets and radio waves from the MRI create pictures of the breast to show any abnormal growths. Biopsies can also be performed. Small samples of a breast lump will be removed in order to detect whether or not the lump is cancerous.
Treatment
Treatment can involve a lumpectomy, or the removal or the tumor. If the cancer is detected early, the lump can be entirely removed. In more serious cases, a mastectomy, or removal of the entire breast, is performed. Radiation and chemotherapy help to eradicate the growth of new cancer cells. The effects of cancer can include depression, nausea and vomiting, and hair loss. It is important to talk with your child to help them understand what you are going through. This will help them cope with your condition, as well as make them feel involved with your recovery, rather than secluded from it.
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