Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer found in women in the United States, according to the Mayo Clinic. The cancer is often found in women who are over 65 years old, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
Causes
Breast cancer results from cells in the breast starting to grow and divide faster than normal cells and forming into a tumor. The tumor can spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes.
Risk Factors
Women who have a family history of breast cancer, had their first child after approximately 35 years of age, had their first menstrual period before age 12, are obese or overweight, drink alcohol excessively and/or do not exercise regularly are most at risk for contracting breast cancer.
Symptoms
Signs of breast cancer include a lump or thickening in the breast, discharges from the nipple, changes in breast size or shape, an inverted nipple, redness or swelling in the nipple and/or dimpling or pitting in the skin of the breast.
Diagnosis
During a self-breast exam, women can inspect their breasts and nipples for changes, such as lumps. A mammogram uses X-rays to find abnormalities in the breast, including specks. During a biopsy, a doctor removes a tissue sample from the breast and afterward sends it to a laboratory to be examined for cancerous cells.
Treatment
During breast cancer surgery, doctors remove either a cancerous lump in the breast or the entire breast where cancer is found. After surgery, women often undergo radiation therapy, which uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells or stop the growth of cancer. Women in different stages of breast cancer can undergo chemotherapy, which uses drugs to kill cancerous cells.
Tags: breast cancer, breast cancer, cancer found, cancerous cells, found women, their first, which uses
