Breast Cancer Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Methods

What is breast cancer?

It is a cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts. Breast cancer may affect both men and women, but it is more common in women. Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer after skin cancer. Previously, detecting breast cancer meant removing the entire breast, but today there are many treatments and procedures that help in early detection and getting rid of cancer without the need to resort to a complete mastectomy.

What is the difference between breast cancer and non-malignant tumors in the breast?

There are many causes and risk factors for liver cancer, which we present to you as follows:

As it is known that tumors are rapid and abnormal growth of cells, as a result of the body losing its ability to control the growth or death of cells, which causes the formation of lumps in certain areas of the body in the form of tumors, where these tumors are classified into two types, benign tumors and malignant tumors.

Benign tumors: Benign tumors are defined as masses that appear in certain areas of the body as a result of the abnormal growth of cells, but these cells do not spread in the body, as they grow in one area and slowly, and if these tumors are removed, they do not return reappear.

Malignant (cancerous) tumors: These tumors are characterized by their great ability to grow rapidly, and other than that, they spread throughout the body, moving from the affected organ to the cells of healthy areas of the body and this is transmitted through blood or lymph, and it is also possible to reappear again. After being treated in the same organ or in another part of the body.

What are the causes of breast disease?

To this day, we cannot identify a specific cause of breast cancer, as it is a disease that affects women more than men, as we mentioned, depending on different genetic and environmental factors as follows:

1. Genetic and genetic factors.
2. Having a family history of breast cancer
3. Aging in women.
4. Puberty at an early age
5. The presence of changes or defects in the DNA of one of the breast cells, usually the cells of the ducts that carry milk from the breast to the nipple.
6. Avoid breastfeeding
7. Smoking and drinking alcohol
8. Obesity and lack of exercise
9. Delayed menopause until the age of 55 years
10. Receiving radiological and hormonal treatments that cause imbalance and disturbances in the level of body hormones.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

The most common early sign of breast cancer in both men and women is the appearance of a lump in the breast or a thickening of breast tissue. This lump is often painless. The main symptoms that appear in people with breast cancer are:

1. Abnormal secretion from the breast
2. A change in the shape, color and size of the breast, with the appearance of redness and wrinkling of the skin resembling the peel of an orange.
3. Nipple inversion
4. Peeling and flaking of the skin around the nipple (areola) or breast skin.
5. Feeling of general pain and weakness
6. Enlarged lymph nodes in the arm area in the armpit area.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

When we notice any swelling or lump in the breast or armpit area, we are facing the possibility of breast cancer, so we must immediately go to the specialist doctor to make an early diagnosis, which will help in treatment faster and more effectively.

There are many ways to diagnose breast cancer, as follows:

At first, the doctor examines the breast, as well as the lymph nodes under the armpits, to see if there is any swelling or lumps, which is the most prominent sign of breast cancer.
Mammography through X-rays, if an abnormal situation is observed, the patient is subjected to a diagnostic radiograph of the breast area, so that the condition is diagnosed correctly. Through ultrasound, it is possible to identify the type of mass, whether it is a solid or a cavity filled with liquid.
Performing a biopsy to determine the type of tumor or mass cancerous or not, is done through a device equipped with a special needle, directed by an X-ray machine or using an MRI machine or other, to take pictures of the tissues of the area suspected of being infected with breast cancer and send the sample to the laboratory that Exactly determines its condition.

How is breast cancer treated?

The method of treatment for breast cancer varies, depending on the patient's condition and the degree of spread of the disease in the body.

Here are the main types of treatments used for this disease:

Surgery:
A complete mastectomy is no longer an inevitable and inevitable procedure. Today, most women with breast cancer can undergo a mastectomy only from the breast without the need to remove the entire breast and rebuild it later on again, as was the case previously. There are many types of tumor removal operations, including:

Tumor removal:
Which includes several types such as; Partial, simple and complete excision. After performing the surgical excision, the patient is also undergoing radiotherapy to ensure that all cancer cells are completely eliminated.

Axillary lymphadenectomy: After conducting the necessary tests and taking a biopsy of the sentinel glands, it is confirmed that the lymph nodes under the armpit are infected with cancer, and if the presence of the infection is confirmed, all of them must be removed.

Radiotherapy:
The main goal of radiotherapy is to reduce the size of the tumor and eliminate cancer cells. In some cases, radiotherapy is sufficient to get rid of cancer completely, but in other cases the patient may have to complete his treatment based on chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy:
What distinguishes chemotherapy is its ability to spread throughout the body and reach all cells, that is, it is not directed to a specific and specific area in the body, such as surgical and radiotherapy. Therefore, chemotherapy is considered the most effective in eliminating malignant tumors and completely getting rid of breast cancer. In some cases, it is possible to use chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumors and then perform surgery to remove them.

Hormone therapy:
Hormone-blocking therapy. In cases of hormone-sensitive breast cancer, hormonal therapy is started before or after surgery, which helps prevent breast cancer from recurring. If the cancer has spread in the body, hormone therapy limits its spread and helps control it. This type of treatment is received by drugs that reduce the production of estrogen in the body, as well as drugs that impede the communication of hormones with cancer cells.

Targeted drug therapy:
Through these drugs, certain abnormalities within the cancer cells are attacked. Through such drugs, the protein secretions of some cancerous breast cells can be attacked that help the cancer cells to grow and withstand, and thus limiting their secretion helps to eliminate the infected cells.

What are the most important factors that help prevent breast cancer?

There is nothing to prevent the occurrence of breast cancer, but there are some measures that may reduce the risk of developing the disease as follows:

Chemical prevention:
There are some medications that, through their use, may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women candidates who have genetically recurrent cases. It is through these drugs that they join the class of drugs that selectively occupy estrogen receptors.

Surgery as a precaution:
It is not a common and desirable preventive measure, but in some cases in women at high risk of developing cancer, it is possible to remove the breast or ovary as a precaution.

Life routine changes:
There are some habits that can avoid the risk of breast cancer if we adopt them as a daily routine as follows:

• Maintaining a healthy weight, by exercising and adhering to a healthy diet.
• Breastfeeding.
• Stay away from smoking and avoid alcohol.
• Avoid long-term hormonal - treatments, especially after menopause.
• Avoid exposure to pesticides.
• Excessive intake of olive oil.

For more information about breast cancer, its risks and how to treat it, contact the WorldHealth medical team now, who is ready to answer and provide its medical services 24/7.