Cancer can begin to grow in the milk glands , milk ducts , fatty tissue and connective tissue in the breast .
Cause
The cause is unknown , but there are some risk factors that cause a woman to be more likely to suffer from breast cancer .
Risk Factors
Some risk factors are influential :
1 . Age .
Approximately 60 % of breast cancers occur in over 60 years . The greatest risk was found in women aged over 75 years .
2 . Had suffered from breast cancer .
Once the affected breast removed , then the risk of breast cancer in a healthy increase of 0.5-1 % / year .
3 . Family history of breast cancer .
Women who are mothers , sisters or children suffering from cancer , had a 3 times greater risk of developing breast cancer .
4 . Genetic and hormonal factors .
5 . Ever had a non- cancerous breast disease .
6 . Menarche ( first menstruation ) before age 12 , menopause after age 55 years , first pregnancy after the age of 30 years or had never been pregnant .
7 . The use of birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy .
8 . Obesity after menopause .
9 . The use of alcohol .
10 The use of alcohol more than 1-2 cups / day can increase the risk of breast cancer .
11 . Chemicals .
Several studies have cited the exposure of chemicals that mimic estrogen ( which is contained in pesticides and other industrial products ) may increase the risk of breast cancer .
12 . DES ( diethylstilbestrol ) .
Women who took DES to prevent miscarriage have a higher risk of breast cancer .
13 Irradiation .
# Symptoms and Signs
Early symptoms include a lump that is usually perceived is different from the surrounding breast tissue , painless and usually have an irregular edge .
In the early stages , when driven by a finger , a lump can be moved easily under the skin .
In later stages , the lump is usually attached to the chest wall or surrounding skin . In advanced cancer , can form a swollen lump or breast skin ulcers .
Sometimes the skin over the lump shrank and looked like an orange peel .
Other symptoms that may be found in a lump or mass in the armpit , change the size or shape of the breast , an abnormal discharge from the nipple
( usually bloody or yellow to green , may also be pus ) , changes in the color or texture of the skin on the breast , nipple and areola ( dark brown colored area around the nipple) ,
breast looks red , the skin around the nipple scaly , nipples are interested in or feel itching , breast tenderness or swelling of one breast .
At an advanced stage may develop bone pain , weight loss , swelling of arms or ulcerated skin .
# Prevention
Many risk factors can not be controlled . Some dietitians and oncologists believe that changes in diet and lifestyle in general can reduce the incidence of cancer .
Endeavored to make early diagnosis of breast cancer is easier to treat and can be cured if it is still at an early stage .
Realize , clinical breast examination and mammography as a screening procedure is 3 tools to detect cancer early .
# Management
Treatment usually begins after a thorough assessment of the condition of the patient , which is about 1 week or more after the biopsy .
Treatment consists of surgery , radiation therapy , chemotherapy and hormone inhibitors .
Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells in the removal of the tumor and the surrounding areas , including the lymph nodes .
Chemotherapy ( a combination of drugs to kill cells that multiply quickly or pressing breeding ) and hormone inhibitor drugs ( drugs that affect the hormones that support the growth of cancer cells ) is used to suppress the growth of cancer cells throughout the body .
