Breast Cancer

Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in this country .

New cases of breast cancer in the United States in 2007

New female cases:      178,480.
New male cases:              2,030
Total:                              180,510

Deaths from breast cancer in the United States in 2007

Female deaths:              40,460
Male:                                     450
                                         40,910

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.

Breast cancer forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.

Detecting breast cancer:

Mammogram: This is the procedure of taking an x-ray of the breast
Excisional biopsy: The removal of an entire lump or suspicious tissue.
Incisional biopsy: The removal of part of a lump or suspicious tissue.
Core biopsy: The removal suspicious tissue using a wide needle.
Needle biopsy: The removal of suspicious tissue, or fluid, using a thin needle.

Breast cancer treatment:

There are different types of treatment for patients with breast cancer.

Different types of treatment are available for patients with breast cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.

Surgery
Total mastectomy
Modified radical mastectomy
Radical mastectomy
Radiation therapy
Chemotherapy
Hormone therapy

Alternative Breast Cancer treatments

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Breast Cancer Prevention

Obviously preventing breast cancer is far better than treating breast cancer.

What is prevention?

Breast cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer in a group or population is lowered. Hopefully, this will lower the number of deaths caused by cancer.

To prevent new cancers from starting, scientists look at risk factors and protective factors. Anything that increases your chance of developing cancer is called a cancer risk factor; anything that decreases your chance of developing cancer is called a cancer protective factor.

Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Regular exercise and a healthy diet may be protective factors for some types of cancer. Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may lower your risk but it does not mean that you will not get cancer.