breast cancer

A cancer that develops in the breast is known as breast cancer. The ailment can be fatal if it had advanced and is not treated. Early detection can be treated successfully such that the affected person's survival rate is higher. The progress of the disease can be determined through two factors - grade and stage.

Grades of breast cancer

The grade indicates how fast the cancer cells are multiplying. This can range from Grade 1 to Grade 3. A low-grade such as Grade 1 indicates that the cancer growth is slow. On the other hand, a high-grade such as Grade 3 shows the fast spread and growth of the cancer cells. The higher is the grade, the more active the disease is. This can result to the spread of the ailment outside of the breast and into the lymph nodes and armpit.

Stages of breast cancer

When cancer of the breast is suspected, you may be required to undergo ultrasound, mammogram, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biopsies. The pathology report which is based on the biopsies will summarize the stages of breast cancer. Stages of breast cancer are given numbers I to IV. Stages I, II-A and II-B (lump measuring 2 to 5 centimeters) are classified as early stage. Stage II-B (lump is greater than 5 centimeters), III and IV are advanced stages.

The classification of early stage is based on two factors. First basis is the size of the cancerous lump. The second is the presence of cancer in the lymph nodes. When the lump is less than 2 centimeters and without cancer in the lymph node, it is Stage I.

There are three scenarios for Stage II-A.

First, the lump size is less than 2 centimeters with cancer in the lymph nodes.

Second, the size of the lump ranges from 2 to 5 centimeters without cancer in the lymph nodes.

Third, there is no cancer in the breast but the lymph nodes are positive for cancer.

For Stage II-B, the size of the lump ranges from 2 to 5 centimeters and there is cancer in the lymph nodes. When the size of the lump exceeds 5 centimeters, it will no longer be early stage, rather advanced stage.

There are several features that indicate the chance of early breast cancer recurrence. These are size of the lump, presence of cancer in the lymph nodes, presence of hormone receptors, HER 2 receptors, grade and surgical margin.

The disease has a slim chance of coming back

1. There is a big chance that when treated, the disease will not spread or come back. This is when the tumor is smaller than 2 centimeters.
2. Absence of cancer cells in the lymph nodes.
3. The tumor cells have hormone receptors and you undergo hormonal therapy.
4. Cancer cells are negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER 2).
5. The grade is low.
6. The surgical margin is clear.

The surgical margin is the healthy-looking tissues around the cancer. If there are no cancer cells in these healthy-looking tissues, the surgical margin is clear.

Th Big C is likely to recur

1. The lump is larger than 2 centimeters.
2. Presence of tumor cells in the lymph nodes.
3. The cancer cells do not have hormone receptors.
4. The cancer cells are positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER 2).
5. The grade is high (Grade 3).
6. The surgical margin is not clear.

Early breast cancer is treatable. Although this is a common ailment for women, it will also affect men. Early detection is paramount in surviving this dreaded disease.

Felicitas Ramos is writing articles as a hobby and she writes on different niche. She is in her 4th year of battle with Stage II-A breast cancer. Read more about breast cancer by visiting her site Health And Fitness Today.

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According to Dr. Cedric F. Garland of the Moores Cancer Center and the UCSD School of Medicine:

"This will potentially be the most important action ever conducted toward prevention of breast cancer. The more women who participate in this study, the greater the chance that we will defeat breast cancer within our lifetimes."

The most excellent probable way to evade this is to educate each individual about the deterrence. First and foremost, to make it achievable, everybody must know the primary causes of it: nutritional deficit, level of exposure to environmental toxicity, inflammation, estrogen ascendancy, and low immune system. Unfortunately, these things are often disregarded by many of us for the reason of having the notion about, "genes, which cause the disease".

Secondly, to consider who are at risk of this type of Cancer:

(1). Females
(2). Age
(3). Lack of childbearing and the ability to breastfeed
(4). Increased in hormone levels
(5). Dietary Iodine deficiency
(6). Smoking
(7) Menstrual cycle (Women who get their periods early (before age 12) or went through menopause late (after age 55) have an increased risk of it.)
(8) DES (Women who took diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriage may have an increased risk of it after age 40.)
(9) Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) -- You have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have received hormone replacement therapy for several years or more. Many women take HRT to reduce the symptoms of menopause.

However, breast implants, using antiperspirants, and wearing under wire bras do not raise your risk for breast cancer. There is no evidence of a direct link between breast cancer and pesticides.

Meanwhile, according to The World Cancer Research Fund, an estimate of 38% of breast cancer cases in the US are preventable through reducing alcohol intake, increasing physical activity levels and maintaining a healthy weight. It also estimated that 42% of its cases in the UK could be prevented in this way, as well as 28% in Brazil and 20% in China.

To add up, according to some research, in more recent years, research has indicated the impact of diet and other behaviors on breast cancer. These additional risk factors include: endocrine disruptors (chemicals that interfere with edocrine: DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), bisphenol A (BPA), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's), and a variety of phthalates), shiftwork, and radiation -- Although the radiation from mammography is a low dose, the cumulative effect can cause cancer.

This has to prove that, each woman should participate in its study, to learn more about the prevention, so as to discover its inevitable presence without the need to undergo some sort of technology (X-RAY Mammography) intended for its finding. Let us all be cognizant about it.

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