What is Breast Cancer?

Today, Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in urban India. The reason behind this trend seems to be the rapid transition to urban lifestyles. Women are either unaware of what the lump means or fear the stigma of rejection by their partner and community. The prevalence of social taboos, poor breast cancer screening practices and lack of awareness usually leads the late diagnosis of the disease. 

 

Breast Cancer - Begins when healthy cells in the breast change and grow out of control, forming a mass of cells called a tumor. A tumor can be malignant or benign.

 

Benign tumors - It can grow but will not spread to the other parts of the body, Fibroadenoma is a painless mass usually found in young women and it is totally benign.

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Malignant tumors - Also known as breast cancer, it can grow and spread to the other parts of the body.

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Risk factors for the development of breast cancer are:-

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• Excessive exposure to estrogens (estrogen only contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy)

• Early menarche (<10years) and Late menopause (>55 years)

• Nulliparity – Not giving birth to a child

• Late first pregnancy (>35 years)

• A sedentary lifestyle, obesity

• Heavy drinking

• Women whose mother, sister or daughter has or had breast cancer may have double the risk.

• Women with a brother, father or son who has or had breast cancer also have a higher risk, as do women with a first-degreerelative or multiple relatives who have or had ovarian cancer.

• Women who have inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are at higher risk

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Early Signs of breast cancer :-

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• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.

• A recent change in the size or shape of the breast.

• A dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast.

• A  nipple  turned inward /new changes into the breast.

• Fluid, other than breast milk, from the nipple, especially if it's bloody.

• Scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or  areola  (the dark area of skin around the nipple).

• Dimples in the breast that look like the skin of an orange, called  peau d’orange .