October is breast cancer awareness month and it is important to know the right information on
this disease and how to prevent it.
In a short summary, breast cancer starts when cells begin to grow out of control. Usually this
cells form a tumor that can be seen in X-rays or felt as a lump. Breast cancer is common in
women, but it can happen to men too.
Where breast cancer starts?
Breast cancer starts from different parts of the breast. It mostly starts in the ducts that carry milk
to the nipple (ductal cancers). Sometimes it starts in glands that make breast milk (lobular
cancers). Also, there are other types of breast cancer that are less common, for example;
phyllodes tumor and angiosarcoma.
Also, a small number of start in other tissues of the breast. These are called sarcomas and
lymphomas and are not really seen as breast cancer.
How does breast cancer spread?
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer can spread when the cancer cells get
into the blood or the lymph system and are carried to other parts of the body. The lymph system,
is a network of lymph vessels found throughout the body. The lymph vessels carry lymph fluid
away from the breast. In case of breast cancer, the cancer cells can enter lymph vessels and start
to grow in lymph nodes. Most of the vessels drain into the following:
- Lymph nodes under the arm (axillary nodes)
- Lymph nodes around the collar bone
- Lymph nodes inside the chest near the breast bone.
Difference between a breast lump and breast cancer:
Non-cancerous breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they don’t spread outside of the breast.
They are benign and are not life threatening, but it is important to have in mind that some types
of benign breast lumps can increase the chance of a woman getting breast cancer.
Thoroughly, there’s a question that arises when this topic is discussed. Can breast cancer be
prevented? There is not a sure way to prevent breast cancer, but there are things you can do that
might lower the risk of it. This can be helpful for women with risk factors for breast cancer like
having a strong family history or certain gene changes. (www.cancer.org)
Additionally, October was chosen as the month for breast cancer awareness to help increase
attention, support, early detection, and treatment in different countries across the world.
To conclude, there is a lot of in-depth information that is key to understanding breast cancer. To
read more about it just click or type the following link: www.cancer.org
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