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Cancer occurs when cellsin a part of the body begin

to grow uncontrollably. Normal cells divide and and grow in an orderly

fashion, but cancer cellsdo not. They continue to

grow and crowd out normal cells.

Different kinds of cancers

can behave very differently. They grow at

different rates and respond to different

treatments.

Sometimes cancer cells break away from a tumor

and spread to other parts of the body

through the blood and lymph system. They can settle in new places and

form new tumors.

When this happens, it is called metastasis.

Cancer that had spread in this way is called

metastatic cancer. As cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is still named after the body part of origin.

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Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts from cells of the

breast. It is found mostly in woman, but men can

get breast cancer as well.

A woman’s breast is made up of glands that

make breast milk, ducts, fatty and connective

tissue, blood vessels, and lymph vessels. Most

breast cancers begin in the cells that line the

ducts.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

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The lymph system is important because it is

one of the ways in which breast cancers can

spread. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped

collections of immunes system cells that are

connected by lymphatic vessels.

Lymphatic vessels are like smalls veins, except they carry a clear fluid called lymph away from

the breast. Breast cancer cells can enter lymphatic

vessels and begin to grow in lymph nodes.

Most lymph vessels of the breast lead to lymph

nodes under the arm. Theses are called

axillary nodes. If breast cancer cells reach the underarm lymph nodes and continue to grow,

they cause the nodes to swell.

It is important to know whether cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes because if they have, there is a higher chance that the cells

have also gotten into the bloodstream and spread

to other places in the body.

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Most lumps are benign. This means they are not

cancerous. Benign breast tumors are

abnormal growths, but they do not spread

outside of the breast and are not life threatening.

Some benign breast lumps can increase a

woman’s rick of getting breast cancer.

Most lumps are caused by fibrocystic changes.

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Carcinoma: Used to describe a cancer that

begins in the lining later of organs such as the

breast. Nearly all cancers are known as

carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma: Type of cancer that starts in glandular tissue. The

ducts and lobules of the breast are glandular tissue, so the cancer

starting in these areas are sometimes called

adenocarcinomas.

Carcinoma in situ: Early stage in cancer, when it

is still only in the layer of cancer where it began. In breast cancer, in situ means that the cancer

cells are only in the ducts or lobules. They have not spread into deeper tissues in the

breast.

Invasive carcinoma: Has already grown beyond the layer of cells where

it started.

Sarcoma: Cancers that start from connective tissues such as muscle

tissue, fat tissue, or blood vessels. Sarcomas

of the breast are very rare.

There are many types of breast, though some of them are uncommon.

Ductal carcinoma in situ: Most common types of

noninvasive breast cancer. DCIS means that the cancer is only in the ducts. It has not spread through the walls of the ducts into the tissue of

the breast. At this stage, the cancer can be cured.

Lobular carcinoma in situ: Begins in the milk-making glands but does not go through the wall of the lobules. Having

LCIS increases a woman’s rick of getting

cancer later. It is important that women

have regular mammograms.

Invasive ductal carcinoma: Most

common breast cancer. It starts in a milk

passage or duct, breaks through the wall of the duct, and invades the tissue of the breast.

From there it may be able to spread to other

parts of the body.

Invasive lobular carcinoma: Starts in the milk glands or lobules. It can spread to other parts

of the body.

Inflammatory breast cancer: This uncommon type of invasive breast

cancer accounts for about 1% to 3% of all

breast cancers. There is usually no single lump or tumor. It makes the skin

of the breast look red and feel warm.

It also gives the skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks a lot like an

orange peel. The affected breast may

become larger or firmer, tender or itchy.

In its early stages, inflammatory breast

cancer is mistaken for an infection.

Certain changes in DNA can cause normal breast cancer cells to become

cancerous. Some inherited DNA changes can increase the risk for developing cancer and are responsible for the

cancers that run in some families.

Most breast cancer DNA changes happen in single

breast cells during a woman’s life rather than having being inherited.

These are called acquired changes.

A risk factor is anything that affects a person’s

chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors.

Some risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, and diet are linked to things a person does.

Risk factors don’t tell us everything. Having a risk factor, or even several,

doesn’t mean that a person will get the disease. Some women who have one or

more risk factors never get breast cancer, and most women who get breast

cancer don’t have any risk factors.

Gender: Being a woman is the main

risk for breast cancer. Men can

also get the disease, but it is about 100

times more common in women then men.

Age: The chance of getting breast

cancer goes up as a woman gets older. About 2 out of 3

women are age 55 or older when the cancer is found.

Genetic Risk Factors: About 5-10% of breast cancers are thought to be linked to inherited mutations in certain genes. Women with these gene changes

have up to 80% chance of getting breast cancer in their

lifetimes.

Family History: Breast cancer risk is higher among those whose close blood relatives have this

disease; they can be from the mother’s or

the father’s side.

Personal History of Breast Cancer: A

woman with cancer in one breast has a greater chance of

getting a new cancer in the other breast

or in another part of the same breast.

Race: White women are slightly more likely than African-American women, but African-American women are more likely to die of

this cancer. Part of the reason seems to be because they have

faster growing tumors.

Dense Breast Tissue: This means there is more glandular tissue and less fatty tissue. Women with denser breast tissue have

a higher risk of breast cancer. It can also make it harder for doctors to

spot problems on mammograms.

Menstrual Periods: Women who began

having periods early, before age 12, or who went through

menopause after the age of 55 have a slightly increased

risk.

Earlier Breast Radiation: Women

who have had radiation treatment

to the chest area earlier in life have a

greatly increased risk of breast

cancer.

DES Exposure: DES is a drug once used to lower the risk of miscarriage. It is

now known to increase the risk of

breast cancer for the mother and the child

in the womb.

Not having children or having them later in life: Having a slightly higher risk for breast cancer, women who have no had children or had a child after

age 30. Being pregnant more than

once at early age reduces the number

some.

Recent use of birth control pills: Women who are using birth

control have a greater risk of breast cancer

than women who have never used it.

Therefore, before taking the pill, talk to your doctor about the

risks.

Alcohol: Use of alcohol is clearly linked to an

increased risk of getting breast cancer.

Having one drink a day decreases the risk only a small amount. Having 2-5 drinks a

day have 1½ times the risk of women who drink no alcohol.

Being overweight or obese: This is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, especially if the weight gain took

place during adulthood. Also, the

risk seems to be higher if the fat exists

in the waist area.

Lack of exercise: Reduces breast

cancer risk. The only question is how much exercise is

needed. As little as 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2 hours per week reduces the risk by

18%.

Lowering your risk: The only way to lower you risk is by changing those factors that can be changed. Limit use

of alcohol, exercise regularly, and keep a healthy weight, you are decreasing your

risk.

Other than skin cancer, breast

cancer is the most common cancer

among women in the United States. After lung cancer, it is the

second leading cause of death.

In the past few years, 182,460 women in the

United States have been found with

invasive breast cancer. About 40,480 women die from the disease a year, and about 2 ½

million are survivors of the disease.

What Cancer Cannot DoCancer is so limited...

It cannot cripple love, It cannot shatter hope, It cannot corrode faith,

It cannot eat away at peace, It cannot destroy confidence,

It cannot kill friendship, It cannot shut out memories,

It cannot invade the soul, It cannot reduce eternal life, It cannot quench the spirit, It cannot lessen the power

of the resurrection.Anonymous