Alternative Cancer Treatment - Breast Cancer: What is it?
July 29, 2008
According to the majority of available resources breast cancer is defined as “cancer of the breast tissue”. This doesn’t give someone diagnosed with the disease much to go on. But after conducting additional research the answer becomes much more understandable. Cancer is a malignant growth. It is caused by abnormal and completely uncontrollable division of cells. Normal cells begin to be misshapen and start to grow at an extremely fast pace. What occurs is a mass or either a lump that continues to grow and can actually spread all over the body.
Not all lumps are cancerous. Most are benign. They reach a certain size and level off. They may be soft and fluid filled, like cysts. Or they may be firm like fibroadenomas, which also are benign since they don’t grow and spread. Or, they may simply be scar tissue or hardened fat.
Having breast tissue that is actually cancerous is malignant and serious. Almost 90% of malignant breast cancer tumors are labeled as ductal carcinomas. Around 10% of the other cancer instances are lobular carcinomas. In either instance the lumps could appear as thickening in some spots on the breast or armpit. Lymph nodes are located under the armpits. They can sometimes play a role in the development of the disease.
It is highly recommended that individuals start to perform self breast exams at the age of 20 and that they begin to get regular mammograms at the age of 40.
You shouldn’t be alarmed at every single breast change, however a significant alteration in the size or shape of the breast after maturity is a sign to look for. Fluid might also seep from the nipple that doesn’t resemble milk. If you have cancer the fluid will show itself as a form of pus, which indicates infection.
An individual’s nipple or areola might also alter in shape and size.
Breast cancer develops through identifiable stages which mark out the progression of the disease.
Stage 0 is when the condition first shows itself. Stage I is present when the tumor is less than 2cm thick and has yet to spread. By Stage II tumors are typically between 2-5cm thick and there could also be other areas that are effected. If the disease gets to Stage III it penetrates the chest wall. By that time treatment is extremely difficult and the survival rate is low.
Stage IV cancer is the most serious of all. At this point the individual’s cancer has started to spread, forming tumors in other areas. These tumors are identical to the original cancerous growth. Cancers of this type are typically fatal.
Because of the stages of cancer, and health consequences that are present at each level, looking for treatment and diagnosis early is important. A simple lumpectomy is capable of curing the condition completely. If it progresses to the point that chemotherapy or radiation is necessary the odds of recovery are lower and the cure is usually as bad as the disease.
There have been great amounts of progress made over the past 40 years. The equipment that is available today allows for easier diagnosis. Treatments have also evolved to make the cure not as painful and more reliable.
Cancer at any stage is definitely something to be concerned with, however there is a 95% survival rate for individual’s whose cancer is quickly identified and treated by Stage I. You have a greater chance of survival if you monitor yourself and get treatment quickly.
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