Cancer! The most frightening word in the English language. In fact, it's arguably the most frightening word in any language, especially if you were unlucky enough to be diagnosed with it. In any form it is most unwelcome.
Here, we're going to focus on Breast Cancer. What is it? How many people have it? What do we actually know about it? What are the symptoms and how can you detect it? How can you survive it? These are just many of the questions that come to mind, the answers to which are more than welcome.
In general cancer can be described as a disease that causes the bodies cells to change, grow and multiply out of control. In situ breast cancer so called because it originates in the confines of the ducts of the breast and has not yet spread to anywhere else in the body. Malignant (cancerous) tumour cells may break out of the region they originated and spread to other organs in the body via the lymphatic system. At this stage it would be classed as invasive cancer .
Some of the signs of breast cancer are swelling, or pain in the breast, inversion or discharge from the nipple, growth of a cyst in the breast.
There are many contributing factors to the cause of breast cancer, hereditary, genes, diet, weight/obesity, exercise, inactivity, alcohol intake and many more. The exact cause is unknown. But it is interesting that Western countries have a much higher breast cancer rate than Asian countries, for example like Japan. The contributing factors here being suggested are again diet, exercise, body weight.
If we take breast cancer in the US, for example; in 2005 the estimate was that approximately 270,000 women would be diagnosed with breast cancer. Of which 212,000 would be invasive. In fact, breast cancer accounts for almost 1 in 3 of the cancers diagnosed in US women.
In the UK, where breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women, the estimate is that 41,700 women are diagnosed with the disease each and every year. A disturbing fact is that worldwide, breast cancer is the 2 nd leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
Early detection is of the utmost importance in the diagnosis and survival of cancer, but we shouldn't underestimate the value afforded by changes in lifestyle. Regular exercise, changes in diet, reduction in alcohol intake. Anything that can give even a fraction of a percent increase in the prevention or survival of breast cancer should be embraced and welcomed. Education and access to quality information is of great importance too.
Please feel free to browse this site for a host of information related to this cancer. Including dietary information, exercise information, statistics and resources as well as real life breast cancer stories.
Remember if you've been diagnosed with breast cancer or are worried about it or are just seeking information, you are not alone. Help is out there.
Written by Suzanne Jane Price cancer patient 2006 UK
Figures from US National Cancer Institute