Breast Cancer Part 1

  In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October, I will be sharing some knowledge I've recently obtained about this dreaded, yet treatable disease. In subsequent blogs, I will be interviewing two women that have both fought this battle and come out on the other side. Hallelujah. My sheros.

  According to Medical News Today, Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in women and the 2nd leading cause of death in women after lung cancer. Advances in screening and treatment for breast cancer have improved survival rates dramatically since 1989. According to the American Cancer Society, there are more than 3.1M survivors in the U.S.. The chance of any woman dying from breast cancer is around 1 in 38(2%). Death rates have been decreasing since 1989 as well.

  Awareness of the symptoms and need for screening are important ways to reducing the risk. In rare cases, men can develop breast cancer as well.

Symptoms: The first symptom of breast cancer usually appear as an area of thickened tissue in the breast or a lump in the breast or armpit.

• Other symptoms include
• Pain in the armpits or breast that does not change with the menstrual cycle.
• Pitting or redness of the skin of the breast, similar to the surface of an orange
• A rash around or on one of the nipples 
• Discharge from a nipple, possibly containing blood
• Sunken or inverted nipple
• Change in size or shape of breast
• Peeling, flaking or scaling of the skin on the breast or nipple.

  Most breast lumps are not cancerous. However women should visit a doctor for an examination if they notice a lump in the breast.

  A doctor stages cancer according to the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body. There are different ways of staging breast cancer. One popular way is 0-4.

• Stage 0  Known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the cells are limited to within the ducts and have not invaded surrounding tissues
• Stage 1  At this stage the tumor measures up to two centimeters. across.  It has not affected any lymph nodes, or there are small groups of cancer cells in the lymph nodes.
• Stage 2  Tumor is 2cm across, and it has started to spread to nearby nodes, or is 2-5 cm across and has not spread to the lymph nodes.
•  Stage 3 Tumor is up to 5 cm across, and has spread to several lymph nodes or the tumor is larger than 5cm and has spread to a few lymph nodes.
• Stage 4  The cancer has spread to distant organs, most often the bones, liver, brain or lungs.

Causes

  After puberty a women's breast consist of fat connective tissue and thousands of lobules. These are tiny tubes, or ducts, and carry the milk toward the nipple. Cancer causes the cells to multiply uncontrollably. They do not die at the usual point in their life cycle.  This excessive cell growth causes cancer because the tumors uses nutrients and energy and deprives the cells around it.

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  Breast cancer usually starts in the inner lining of the milk ducts or the lobules that supply them with  milk. From there, it can spread to other parts of the body.

  We've seen the 'Real Men Wear Pink Too' shirts, right? Well they should, because male breast cancer is a thing. A very real thing. Actor Richard Roundtree is a survivor. Matthew Knowles, father to both Beyonce and Solange has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Male breast cancer is a relatively rare cancer, but one doctors often diagnose in the later stages. Knowing how to recognize the signs can help a person of both sexes get early treatment.

• Males breast cancer accounts for fewer than 1% of all cancer diagnoses worldwide. A man's lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is about 1:833 according to the ACS.  The outlook for male breast cancer is excellent if diagnosis occurs in the early stages. However, early diagnosis is not always possible. One factor is delay in lack of awareness. While women know how to look out for changes that could indicate breast cancer. There is far less awareness among men which means they are less likely to seek help in the early stages. Breast cancer affects men differently, as they have a small amount of breast tissue in comparison with females. This can make it easier to detect small lumps, but it also means that the cancer has less room to grow within the breast, As a result, it may spread more quickly to nearby tissues. 

  For these and other reasons, around 40% of men with breast cancer receive a diagnosis in stage 3 or 4, when the disease has already spread to other parts of the body. As a result, overall survival rates are lower for men than for women.

Symptoms for men slightly differ

•   A lump in one breast with is usually painless
•   Nipple retraction, ulceration and discharge
•   Skin puckering or dimpling on the breast
•  Redness or scaling of the skin on the breast or nipple
•  If cancer spreads, swelling in the lymph glands, in or near the underarm area, breast or bone pain.

  The prognosis for breast cancer in men is similar to that in women. According the ACS, the chances of surviving 5 years or more after diagnosis are, on average

• 96% when cancer affects only the breast tissue at diagnosis
• 83% when it affects nearby areas as well as the breast
• 23% when it has spread to other parts of the body.

  For this reason, it is essential to seek help as soon as a person notices changes. Early stage breast cancer responds well to treatment. Diagnostic methods and treatments have improved in the last few years, and so chances of living for at least 5 years after diagnosis are probably higher than above figures for people currently receiving a diagnosis.  

Next Friday, treatments.

Get those mammograms ladies. The life you save may be your own.

Ninakupenda

   

  

Come back Sunday for When Later Is Too Late.