Breast Cancer

Hope is the beacon that beckons us forward.  If you or someone you love is facing breast cancer, you deserve the best medical care and support available and your treatment should be entrusted to an experienced and compassionate medical doctor . With these words of inspiration and hope, you are encouraged to seek the outreached hand and support of a physician who not only can provide you with informed and educated medical answers, but also respect and support during a challenging time in your life.

There are many risk factors which include, aging, early menses, late menopause, excessive alcoholic intake, diets high in saturated fat, premature or postmature birth, heredity, radiation exposure, hormone replacement therapies, and a host of other reasons.  Knowledge is power and can be your best ally in the fight against breast cancer.  Talking with a skilled and experienced cancer specialist (oncologist) can provide you with helpful information you need to know.  This information can separate fact from fiction and help you learn more about the contributing factors associated with treating this disease as well as therapies and treatment options.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NIC) a division of National Institutes of Health (NIH), breast cancer is cancer that forms in breast tissues.  Generally, breast cancer develops in the ducts or lobules.  Each breast has twenty sections of glands called lobes.  The lobes are broken down into smaller subdivisions called lobules.  These are the glands that produce milk in women.  The ducts interconnect these glands and carry the milk to the nipples. Breast cancer can be produced in both male and female susceptive breast tissue.  The NIC estimates that an average of 1,700 men are diagnosed with breast cancer annually in the United States.  In 2008, there were 182,460 diagnosed new cases of female breast cancer and 40,480 female deaths because of breast cancer.  There were also 1,990 diagnosed new cases of male breast cancer and 450 male deaths because of breast cancer.

• Aging – 50% of all women diagnosed are over 65 years of age
• Diets high in saturated fat
• Early menses or late menopause
• Personal and family history
• Heredity
• Radiation exposure
• Hormone replacement therapies
• Weight and obesity
• Excessive alcohol intake (alcohol addiction)
• Dense breast tissue
• Changes in genes
• Giving birth at an older age

Early detection is the key to successfully treating breast cancer.  Keep a diligent check on common symptoms such as a change in the appearance or feel of your breast, including newly formed lumps, changes in tissue density, changes in the texture and/or sensitivity of your nipples, or abnormal discharge from your nipples.  Nipple discharge is a symptom of breast cancer, but not all nipple discharge is necessarily a sign of cancer.