One of the worst things that can happen to a woman is to find a lump in one or both of her breasts. Breast cancer can also occur in men, although it’s rare. Regardless of the person’s sex, early detection is important in the treatment process.
According to the American Cancer Society’s website, in 1999 more than 1,500 people died of cancer each day, and nearly 5 million lives have been lost to cancer since 1990. ACS estimated that in 2001, the number of breast cancer cases was expected to rise to 192,200, and 40,600 deaths would result from breast cancer. Breast cancer is second to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women.
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that forms from the cells in the breast. These cancer cells form a lump or mass called a tumor. The cells can break away and travel to other parts of the body to grow. The most important factors in a woman’s prognosis are to determine the cancer’s size and extent to which it has spread. Finding the cancer early improves the recovery rate. Early detection tests save thousands of lives each year, says ACS.
Most lumps are benign, and are caused by fibrocystic changes. These cysts are fluid-filled sacs, and fibrosis is the scar tissue that forms. Breast swelling and pain are symptoms of fibrocystic changes. Breasts may feel lumpy, and sometimes there is a clear or slightly cloudy discharge. The cysts are not life-threatening and cannot spread outside the breast to other organs.
Treatment
If a lump is found, there are several types of biopsies that determine whether it is cancerous, including fine needle aspiration biopsy, core biopsy and surgical biopsy. If the lump is cancerous, the surgeon removes as much of the cancer as possible. Surgery may also be followed by chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiation therapy.
The following are surgical procedures that might be performed:
Chemotherapy is given in a vein or by mouth, and once the drugs enter the bloodstream they spread throughout the body. It can reduce the chance of breast cancer returning after surgery, and can be used as the main treatment for women whose cancer has spread outside the breast and underarm area, says ACS. The total treatment lasts three to six months.
