Introduction

Breast cancer is a kind of cancer that develops in the breast cells. The second most prevalent cancer among women diagnosed in the United States is breast cancer, behind skin cancer. Both men and women may get breast cancer, although it tends to affect women more often. Yes, while it’s uncommon, males may also get breast cancer. Less than 1% of breast cancer cases diagnosed in the United States are in men. There have been significant improvements in the identification and management of breast cancer thanks to financing for campaigns to raise awareness of breast cancer and research. Because of things like earlier identification, a more personalized approach to therapy, and a better knowledge of the illness, the survival rates for breast cancer have grown, and the number of fatalities linked to this disease is constantly falling. The signs and symptoms of breast cancer vary from person to person, making it difficult to detect the disease in its early stages. There may sometimes be a lump or discomfort that may be felt. There is often neither. Typically, early-stage breast cancer doesn’t have any symptoms.

Both men and women should get to know their breasts so they can see changes when they happen and seek treatment right away. By reading through these commonly asked questions, you may get knowledge of the facts and comprehend your own risk factors for the condition, which include genetics and ancestry.

How is breast cancer begin to occur?

When breast cells increase unattended, breast cancer develops. Breast cancers may be developed from a variety of breast cell types. The majority of breast cancers start in the milk-producing glands or ducts that bring milk to the nipple, respectively. The terms invasive carcinoma of the ducts and invasive carcinoma of the lobe are used to describe them, respectively. Breast cancers that are inflammatory and ductal carcinoma in situ are two additional, less prevalent kinds of breast cancer.

Men may also acquire breast cancer, despite the fact that women are more likely to do so. One in 883 men will get breast cancer in their lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 2,620 males will be confirmed to have breast cancer this year.

Causes

Several breast cells start to grow unexpectedly, which is how doctors know breast cancer develops. These cells multiply more quickly than healthy cells, continue assembling, and eventually form a mass. In order to reach your lymph nodes or other regions of your body, cells might spread (metastasize) via your breast.

Cells in milk-producing pathways (invasive ductal carcinoma) are where breast cancer most often develops. Invasive lobular carcinoma is a kind of breast cancer that may start in cells or tissue elsewhere in the breast, including the glandular tissue known as lobules.

Researchers have found parameters that may raise the probability of breast cancer, including hormonal, lifestyle, and environmental factors. However, it is unclear why some individuals with no risk factors for the disease have cancer and others with risk factors never do. An advanced interplay between your environment and genetic makeup may have brought on breast cancer.

Genetic breast cancer. A family’s history of gene abnormalities is thought to be responsible for 5 to 10% of breast cancer cases, according to medical professionals.

A variety of inherited faulty genes may increase the probability of developing breast cancer. The two that substantially raise the risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer are breast cancer genes 1 (BRCA1) and 2 (BRCA2), which make them the most widely recognized.

Your physician could advise a blood test if you have a long family history of breast cancer or other malignancies to determine whether any particular BRCA mutations or other genes that run in your family are being handed down through the generations.

A genetic counselor may analyze your family’s medical history, so think about requesting a referral from your doctor. A genetic counselor may also help you with shared decision-making by describing the advantages, hazards, and limits of genetic testing.

What are the 5 warning signs of breast cancer?

• A persistent bump beneath your arms or in your breast. The earliest sign of breast cancer is often this. Typically, a lump on a mammography may be detected by your doctor long before you can feel or see it.
• Swelling in the area around your collarbone or in your armpit.  This can indicate that lymph nodes nearby have been infected with breast cancer (https://www.balcomedicalcentre.com/). Tell your doctor if you have swelling; it may begin before you feel a lump.
• Even while lumps often don’t hurt, there is pain and soreness. Some could make you feel stingy.
• A section on your breast that is flat or pronounced. This could occur as a result of a tumor that you are unable to see or feel.
• Breast alterations include variations in size, shape, texture, or temperature.
• Unusual nipple discharge. It could be a different color, transparent or red.

Risk variables

Anything that increases your likelihood of developing breast cancer is a risk factor for the disease. Nevertheless, if you have one or more risk factors for breast cancer, it doesn’t indicate you’ll definitely get the disease. Apart from being women, many women who acquire breast cancer have no other recognized risk factors.

The following are some of the elements linked to an elevated risk of breast cancer:

• Having a feminine body:  The risk of developing breast cancer is much higher in women than in males.
• Aged more and more: As you age, your chance of developing breast cancer rises.
• Description of any breast problems you may have had personally: You are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer if you’ve had a breast biopsy and the results revealed lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or atypical hyperplasia of the breast.
• Breast cancer in the family: Your chance of developing breast cancer is enhanced if your mother, sister, or daughter had the disease, especially when they were young. In spite of this, the majority of breast cancer patients have no family history of the illness.
• Inherited genes that raise the chance of developing cancer:  It is possible for parents to pass on some DNA mutations that enhance the risk of breast cancer to their offspring. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are the most well-known ones. These genes may significantly raise your chance of developing breast cancer and other malignancies, but they do not guarantee that you will develop one.
• Radiation exposure: Your chance of developing breast cancer is higher if you underwent chest radiation treatments as a kid or young adult.
• Obesity: Being fat makes breast cancer more likely.
• Starting your menstruation earlier in life: Your chance of developing breast cancer rises if you start menstruating before age 12.
• Starting menopause later in life: If you start menopause later in life, breast cancer is more likely to affect you.
• Having a first kid later in life: Breast cancer risk may be higher for women with their first child after turning 30.
• Never having been pregnant: Compared to women who have had one or more pregnancies, women who have never been pregnant have a higher chance of developing breast cancer.
• Postmenopausal hormone treatment: Breast cancer risk is higher in women who use estrogen and progesterone-containing hormone therapy drugs to address menopause symptoms. When women quit using these drugs, their chance of developing breast cancer lowers.
• Alcohol consumption: Alcohol use raises the risk of breast cancer.

Breast cancer prevention for high-risk women

If your doctor has examined your family history and found that you have additional risk factors for breast cancer, such as a precancerous breast condition, you may talk to them about ways to lower your risk, such as:

Chemoprevention(preventive drugs):  Women who are at high risk for breast cancer may lower their risk by using estrogen-blocking drugs such as selective estrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors.

Doctors only prescribe these drugs to patients who have a very high risk of developing breast cancer since they have a chance of having negative effects. With your doctor, go through the advantages and disadvantages.

Curative surgery: The surgical removal of healthy breasts in women at extremely high risk for breast cancer is known as a preventive mastectomy. In order to lower their chance of developing both breast and ovarian cancer, they may also decide to remove their healthy ovaries (prophylactic oophorectomy).