“The happy ending” is all that any girl dreams of, in many different ways or situations. For example, while she is graduating from the university, wearing a stunning dress, or marrying the love of her life, living a happy life, dreaming of the children’s name, her favorite pet, her room style, and so on. This is what girls and women think about and dream of… THE HAPPY ENDING.
But while the journey is in the middle, any woman can face obstacles that turn her rosy dream into a pale one, the most common impediment among women is breast cancer. In this article, we will talk about breast cancer, this disease that eats women’s souls, and now it’s time for awareness.
What is Breast Cancer?
This disease is a cancerous cell that spreads between the two breasts because of abnormal growth of breast cells. It is considered the second most common type among women after skin cancer. It can also affect men, but it is much more prevalent among women.
Breast Cancer Reasons
As a result of abnormal growth in breast cells, these cells begin to spread much more frequently than normal cells, forming some mass or tumor that may spread to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes.
But after so much time, so many studies, and medical advances around the world, we can’t say a very specific reason that this disease is caused due to. But in return, doctors have attributed it to other factors, like lifestyle or genetic factors. So let’s mention more details around those factors:
– Inherited causes: 5- 10% of the infected cases are inherited, some people or families have a defect in one or two genes such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, and therefore the risk of breast tumors is high in the family through different generations.
– Genetic reasons: If any of your family members have a genetic defect, you can get it by a 50% chance.
In some cases, cancer reasons are not due to acquired genetic defects, and maybe it’s because women are exposed to radiation in the chest area to treat something, a disease, or a childhood tumor. These women are more likely to develop this disease than women who have not been exposed to radiation in that area.
We can mention other reasons like:
– Age
The unhealthy eating style that causes (obesity)
– History of family health
– Smoking
– Radiation exposure in the chest area
– Early Period
– Women reach menopause later
– Hormones Treatment
– Taking Contraceptive pills
– Abnormal changes in breast cells
Breast Cancer Symptoms:
Symptoms are divided between early and non-early. If these symptoms are felt or discovered, you must visit your doctor to start the procedures for testing and treatment.
When you observe early symptoms of breast cancer or other conditions, you may notice just one or two symptoms, which are not enough things to say they are early or otherwise symptoms of breast cancer, but with lots of changes in your breast, you have to check out and visit a doctor.
Here are some symptoms:
– Breast shape change
– Itching in the chest area
– Rash
– Breast block is a major early symptom
– Underarm lumps
– In very rare cases of early symptoms of breast cancer, you may feel some pain.
Let’s talk about early and non-early symptoms:
1- Changing in breast shape:
One of the most prominent early and non-early symptoms of breast cancer is the sensation of some changes in skin texture, enlargement of the pores, and changes in external texture. Some doctors have described the chest area tissue as becoming similar to orange peel, and you may feel there are lumps or thickness near the breast area or under the armpit.
2- Change in the breast or peripheral shape:
Early or nearly symptoms of breast cancer include a change in breast size or shape with the presence of a single swelling in the area.
Just as there can be inconsistencies between the breasts of the ladies, you might think there’s a natural difference. But we’re mentioning here a real clear difference between the two breasts, which is one of the most important early symptoms of shrinking breasts that we can’t justify.
3- Breast secretions:
In some early or non-early symptoms of breast cancer, it’s clear that there are brown secretions, but a woman has to differentiate between the brown secretions during breastfeeding and brown secretions concerning cancer symptoms. Pure blood and milk secretions, and that’s where you have to consult a doctor.
4- Breast area clusters:
Some of the early symptoms of breast cancer and others indicate the presence of lumps in the perimeter of the breast area because the breast tissue becomes the textile of the texture, not always indicating the presence of cancer cells. But to increase reassurance, refer to a competent doctor in some cases:
- Changes in breast tissue have nothing to do with the approach of the menstrual cycle.
- Lumps or group of blocks makes a difference in shape or texture in the breast area.
- Having a breast mass with no other breast mass.
5- Breast nipple contraction:
An early or unexpected symptom of breast cancer is a clear change in the bra’s shape due to some injuries that reach the cells behind the nipples, which change the shape of the nipple, its heart, and recede inside.
These were the most prominent early symptoms of breast cancer, and these symptoms are not necessarily a direct indication of tumors on the breast, but as a precaution, you have to consult with your specialist; we can shorten the very early symptoms of breast cancer at some points:
– Redness
– Swelling
– Pink appearance resembles bruises in the breast area
– Bloated skin
– Swelling significantly
– A rapid increase in the breast volume we take
– Skin itch
– Lymph gland swelling
6- Blood Pressure:
Referring back to some medical studies on cancer before 2019, doctors found out that cancer sufferers also face high blood pressure after 96 days, reaching its peak after 183 days.
Prevention of breast cancer:
To complete the rosy dream with a healthy life without troubles or tumors, you must follow some guidelines or steps to prevent cancer; some factors cannot be changed or controlled, such as family history, age, or gender.
But we can say that there are some factors that if controlled can reduce the risk of getting infected or preventing breast cancer, and they’re not 100% specific methods that prevent the disease once and for all but have a positive effect on women’s health.
1-Good nutrition:
There may be a link between nutrition, eating type, and injury, so we give you some nutrition tips for prevention:
– Eating more vegetables:
Eating vegetables, especially after menopause, maybe a good step toward breast cancer prevention. Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains is low-carbohydrate, rich in carotenes, and has a particularly positive effect on breast cancer prevention.
– Dairy foods:
According to some studies, dairy-containing food products are rich in probiotics, a nutrient that can enhance and stimulate the immune system and affect breast cancer prevention.
– Some fish species:
Fish species include Omega-3, selenium, and antioxidants such as salmon and sardines for their ability to prevent breast cancer. According to some doctors, women who eat these types of fish have a 14% lower risk of developing breast cancer than others.
– Healthy habits:
– Excessive drinking increases the risk of tumors, so reducing or abstaining from alcohol is considered one of the most important factors in preventing breast cancer.
– Healthy weight, keeping the weight around is a major prevention factor for breast cancer, so we recommend you lower your daily calorie rate and keep the weight perfect.
– The practice of weight-bearing sports or physical games and active blood circulation are factors in preventing breast cancer.
– Breastfeeding has a protective effect because it’s a protective factor against cancer
– Avoiding processed foods, preservatives, and other unhealthy foods are a catalyst for cancer cells, and avoiding or reducing them is desirable to prevent breast cancer.
– Hormone therapy can negatively affect a woman’s life, especially with age. This can increase the risk of developing cancer.
– To walk or run every day for half an hour so that you can keep yourself in good weight, active, physically and psychologically healthy.
– Prevention of breast cancer doesn’t make up for periodic, repetitive detection as a form of early or faithful detection.
Recovery from breast cancer:
The rate of recovery varies from person to person and from situation to situation. Still, we can say that the cure rate is constantly increasing, and in some cases, we can say that the cure rate is 100% without exaggeration. Yet, talking about recovery in general, we can say that it has reached 95%, and the death rate has decreased significantly, and directly, for breast cancer patients.
Breast cancer treatment:
There are several treatment options, and the treatment methods vary from case to case. This is where the importance of early detection comes in so that early diagnosis can be made and avoid surgery or breast removal:
- chemotherapy hormonal therapy
- radiation therapy
- surgical treatment
- immunotherapy
- stem cell therapy
While facing cancer, women are more likely to face depression due to the disease and its consequences. They also suffer from insomnia for a while.
During home treatment, it’s preferable to have a home nursing companion, and in the case of elderly people, you must ask for elderly care services.
After providing information on breast tumors, their causes, treatments, and prevention methods, we offer our best wishes for the health of all women and healthy life free from trouble, a happy and rosy life.
: Reference
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3255438
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/breast-cancer
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-cancer
https://www.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2016/KNOWLEDGE-SUMMARY—PREVENTION.pdf
