Breast Cancer Basics

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in western women today. In a given year the incidence is about 1 in 1000 women and of those diagnosed about 22% will die of the disease. With breast cancer representing about 32% of all cancer cases in women. Of all the cases 80% are diagnosed in women aged 50 and over. It should be noted that 1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer during the course of their lifetimes.

Most of the known risk factors for breast cancer relate to a woman’s reproductive history such as early first period, late first pregnancy, low number of live-born children (parity) and late menopause. Oral contraceptive use, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), obesity and increased alcohol consumption also increase the risk.

However, early detection and improved diagnosis and treatment means that the mortality rate for breast cancer is falling year-on-year and the improvement in survival rate is due in no small part to screening and early detection programs. In truth, survival from breast cancer is higher than that for cervical cancer and much higher than for the other major cancers in women - lung, colorectal and ovarian.

This section of the cancer-focused region of the site will tell you what breast cancer is, how it develops, the different types and what modes of diagnosis and treatment are available to you.

Early Diagnosis — Looking for Breast Changes

The secret to breast cancer survival is early diagnosis and this is where you have to take responsibility for you own breasts. But remember only one woman in ten will develop the disease. So, do not be paranoid... However, it is worth being watchful and this depends on knowing your own breasts. You will need to know how your breasts naturally change through your menstrual cycle. It is only by knowing the natural state of your breasts that you can look for changes which are abnormal to you.

Usually breast cancer is first noted as a a lump either within the breast itself or under the arm. This lump can either be painful or painless. More often than not such a lump turns out to be a benign cyst, but if you feel anything unusual in your breast, have it checked out. However, it is possible that the symptoms of breast cancer may not be as noticeable as a distinct lump and things to look out for include:

  • redness of the breast
  • increased hardness of the breast
  • breast pain
  • changes in the shape of the nipple or areola
  • changes in the shape of the breast
  • itchiness of the nipple or areola
  • blood discharge from the nipple
  • changes to the colour of the skin covering the breast, such as a bluer note
  • changes to the character of the skin covering the breast so that it may resemble the skin of an orange or grapefruit.

Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a cancer that depends on lifestyle, family history and age of first pregnancy for its development. The various factors associated with an increased risk of breast cancer are given below. If a number of these risk factors relate to you then you should be more vigilant and aware of the changes in your own breasts. But, please do not be paranoid; just take sensible precautions. The major risk factors associated with breast cancer are:

  • Age (being over 50)
  • Ancestry (being caucasian)
  • early onset of menstruation (before the age of 12)
  • Late menopause (after 55)
  • A family history of breast cancer especially from close relatives such as mothers, daughters or siblings of women who develop breast cancer before menopause.
  • Exposure to radiation
  • Exposure to mutagens (chemicals that cause mutation in DNA)
  • The first pregnancy being after the age of 30 or never having breast-fed children.
  • A genetic mutation (generally in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes).
  • Drinking alcohol every day (especially if more than two standard measures are consumed)
  • Having had cancer in one breast significantly increases the risk of developing cancer in the other.
  • Smoking (especially for women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancers)
  • Putting on excess weight as an adult (most especially after menopause).
  • Having had fibrocystic breast changes in the past.
  • Having taken diethylstilboestrol (DES)
  • Having had uterine cancer.
  • Taking combination hormone replacement therapy (oestrogen and progesterone) for more than five years.
  • A high-fat diet
  • Being on oestrogen replacement therapy
  • Being a long-term oral contraceptive user.