Research And Writing An Essay About Brest Cancer (Essay Sample)

Breast Cancer
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Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a type of cancer that affects breast cells. The breast are composed of glands known as lobules, which are responsible for making milk in women (Howel, et al., 2014). They also have small tubes called ducts and these are the ones that carry milk from the lobules to the nipples during breastfeeding (Howel, et al., 2014). In between these tissues there are blood vessels, lymph nodes and fat deposits. Breast cancer is said to develop when a lump grows in any of these tissues. Therefore, there are two types of breast cancer depending on the specific tissue affected. When the cancer starts on the inner lining of the lobules it is referred to as lobular carcinoma. But if it initiates from the ducts then it is called ductal carcinoma (Howel, et al., 2014). If it spreads beyond these tissues to the surrounding cells then it is known as invasive breast cancer. Although breast cancer mainly affect females, men are also not in exclusion but in rare situations whereby in the United States annual cases of breast cancer in women is almost a hundred times in comparison to that of men (Nfonsam, Aziz, Pandit, Khalil, Jandova, & Joseph, 2016). Statistics by Centre for Disease Control and Prevention show that it is the second most prevalent form of cancer in females and about 18.2% of all cancer related deaths across the globe, are breast cancer (Nfonsam, Aziz, Pandit, Khalil, Jandova, & Joseph, 2016). Therefore, this paper gives an overview of the epidemiology of breast cancer
Initially, breast cancer may not cause any observable symptoms but as the disease advance, various symptoms which indicate breast cancer develop. The most common ones are presence of a lump on the breast or discharge from the nipples especially if the woman is not breastfeeding (Howel, et al., 2014). As the cancer continues to develop, there may be a change in size and shape of the breast especially for women. Other minor changes that might indicate breast cancer include; soft irritation on the surface of the breast, the edge of the nipple may also thicken and turn reddish (Howel, et al., 2014). However, these symptoms may be a result of other uncancerous infections and so it is important to seek for a medical checkup before making any conclusion. In order to be sure that the realized symptoms are as a result of cancer, it is advisable to go through breast screening. The most common type of screening is mammography where X-ray images of the breast are used to detect the presence of a lump as early as possible (Howel, et al., 2014). However, non-cancerous breast conditions are still detectible through this procedure and this makes it less efficient.
Although there is currently no scientific evidence to prove the specific cause of cancer, there are various conditions that are believed to cause breast cancer. The first risk factor is age whereby as a woman continue to grow old, chances of developing breast cancer increase (Nfonsam, Aziz, Pandit, Khalil, Jandova, & Joseph, 2016). Statistics show that over 80% of all women with breast cancer in the United State are 50 years and above (Howel, et al., 2014). The second cause is genetics whereby if a person has a close relative with a history of either breast or ovarian cancer has more chances of developing the cancer. Some of the genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 which are known to cause breast cancer are hereditary (Nfonsam, Aziz, Pandit, Khalil, Jandova, & Joseph, 2016). Recent research shows that one of every two hundred women. If the relative is of first-degree, a woman is three times likely to develop the disease (Nfonsam, Aziz, Pandit, Khalil, Jandova, & Joseph, 2016). In addition, women whose estrogen had been exposed for a very long duration have higher chances of developing breast cancer. This may happen to a woman whose monthly periods started early or menopause began late. Level of estrogen may also be high to obese woman and so overweight is another cause of breast cancer (Nfonsam, Aziz, Pandit, Khalil, Jandova, & Joseph, 2016). Women who regularly consume alcohol may develop breast cancer.
If breast cancer is noted at an early before reaching metastatic stage, it can be treated. However, secondary cancer is not curable. The mode of treatment is based on various factors such as stage of the cancer or whether the patient had gone through any treatment before. The first mode is local therapy which only targets the tumor without necessarily affecting other body parts. Typical local treatments include radiotherapy and surgery; they are usually more successful during the early stages of cancer (Howel, et al., 2014). On the other hand, there are systematic treatments which inclu...