Question: What is the #2 type of cancer that successfully kills women in the United States?
Answer: Breast Cancer.
Second only to the mortality rate of lung cancer in women, breast cancer can affect any woman. After skin cancer, it is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer affecting women. It is not yet know why some women get it while others do not, but there are known risk factors to cause breast cancer. While much rarer, men can get it as well. Specifically, the American Cancer Society predicts that approximately 178,000 women and 2000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer, every year.
RISKS
- Age is a factor, as the older a woman gets, the more likely she is to develop it.
- Breast cancer genes have been found, called BRCA1 and BRCA2, which seem to greatly increase the risk in women. Women who have familial history should get tested for these genes.
- Overweight women tend to be more at risk.
- Women who partake in hormone replacement therapy are more prone to ending up with breast cancer.
- Birth control pills seem to escalate one's chances of getting it.
Other factors are consuming alcohol, not having any children, or having children after the age of 35.
Obviously, many women fall into many of these categories, meaning everyone should get regularly checked.
WHAT IS IT, EXACTLY?
Cancer is a malignant growth (tumor) that is exacerbated by uncontrolled, abnormal cell growth that can spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system. The abnormal growth is called the tumor; the cells that travel are called metastases. In other words, cells in a specific part of the body begin to grow out of control. Breast cancer forms in the breast tissue, forming a lump or a mass of extra tissue. Even though skin cancer is more commonly diagnosed in women than breast cancer, breast cancer is more universally feared by women than any other cancer known to man.
While there are many types of breast cancer, and a patient can be diagnosed with more than one type, it is divided into two main categories: invasive, or non-invasive. As the name would imply, non-invasive are usually easier to cure. One's odds of beating cancer are increased significantly if discovered early in all cases.
The following two types of cancer are the most common of both categories:
- DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ, is a non-invasive type. It is located in the ducts of the breast and remains there without invading the tissue. It is easily detected via mammograms.
- IDC, or invasive ductal carcinoma, is the most common type of invasive breast cancer. It begins in a milk passage/duct, and breaks through the wall of the duct to invade breast tissue. From the tissue, this cancer can metastasize to other parts of the body, often spreading rapidly.
If you are reading this article because you found a lump in your breast, take some comfort in knowing that most lumps in the breast are benign (non-cancerous). Most are fibrocystic cysts, which are just fluid-filled sacs forming scar-like tissue in the breast, feeling like a lump and can be quite common in menstruating women. It may be an abnormal growth but won't spread, and won't kill you. However, women prone to benign growths are at higher risk.
In any case, if you find a lump in your breast, remain calm, but make an appointment with your doctor immediately.
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