The month of October is referred to as Breast Cancer Awareness Month by the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries.
Every time during this month, major breast cancer charities across the world target to produce mindfulness and raise funds for the research, treatment, and prevention of this fatal disease.
Primary Types of Breast Cancer
Ductal melanoma: It’s the most frequent type of breast cancer that occurs. It begins in the peripheral lining of the milk tubes that carry milk from the lobules of the breast to the nipple.
Lobular carcinoma: This cancer begins in the lobules (milk glands) of the breast and may be either lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS, noninvasive) or invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).
Inflammatory breast cancer: In this type of breast cancer the breast looks red and distended and feels warm. The reddishness and warmth happen because the cancer cells obstruct the lymph vessels in the skin.
Triple-negative breast cancer: This describes breast cancer cells that don’t have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, or large numbers of HER2/ neu protein. It’s also called ER-negative PR-negative HER2/ neu-negative breast cancer.
Recurrent breast cancer: Breast cancer can reoccur when treatment does not completely removes or destroy all the cancer cells.
Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer
The most common signs of breast cancer include:
Lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
Lump or thickening of all or part of the breast
Localized, patient breast pain
Reddishness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin.
Nipple retraction or discharge (other than breast milk).
It should also be kept in mind that breast lumps are frequent especially in post-menopausal women. The majority of similar kinds of lumps turn out to be benign and noncancerous.
Benign lumps develop from adipose tissue deposits or breastfeeding when sacs filled with milk form cysts.
One can indeed get a lump as a result of an injury, similar to when your breast gets bruised or after breast surgery.
Diagnosing Breast Cancer
A clinician will first physically examine the breast and the armpits for any type of clumps as well as examine the breast surface and discharge.
The medical record is also an important aspect of the proper diagnosis of the complaint. History and present medications, as well as the medical history of immediate family members, will help to know the cause of the complaint.
The radiological diagnostic measures will include a mammogram which will distinguish between benign and malignant mass while Ultrasound and MRI will give a better picture of the tissue to the clinician.
A biopsy will be done if the clinician suspects the lump is cancerous.
Treatments
Depending on the type and diagnostic stage of cancer, treatments can differ. But there are some common practices used to battle breast cancer:
1. Lumpectomy your doctor removes the lump while leaving your breast intact.
2. Mastectomy our doctor surgically removes all of your breast tissue including the growth and connecting tissue to minimize the chance of recurrence.
3. Chemotherapy The most common cancer treatment and involves the usage of anticancer medicines. These drugs intrude on cells’ capability to reproduce.
Prevention
As with any cancer, early spotting and treatment are major factors in determining the outgrowth. Breast cancer is fluently treated and generally curable when detected in the foremost of stages.
The smart way to fight breast cancer is early discovery. Talk with your doctor about when you should start registering regular mammograms.
Also Read: World Food Day 2021: Healthy Eating Tips During COVID-19 Pandemic