Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the tissue of the breast. Many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are incredibly sensitive to the hormone estrogen, which is found in higher quantities is women. Basically, this means that estrogen causes their breast cancer tumor to grow. This type of breast cancer is called estrogen receptor positive cancer (ER positive cancer). Another common type of beast cancer is referred to as HER-2-positive, which involves the lack of a specific genes that help to grow, divide and repair themselves. Chemotherapy treatments that help to increase the survival rate of breast cancer patients usually involves a combination of drugs taken orally or injected directly into the patient's veins. This process is completed in cycles over a period of months or a year as determined by the type of drugs being taken.
The Facts
According to the American Cancer Society, 269,800 women died of a cancer-related illness in 2008. Fifteen percent of those deaths were attributed to breast cancer. After increasing for five years beginning in 1994, breast cancer diagnosis rates in women decreased by 2.2 percent each year from 1999 to 2005. The American Cancer Society believes that this was due in part to a slight decline in mammography utilization and to less use of hormone replacement therapy. Over the course of a lifetime, 1 in 8 women will reportedly be diagnosed with breast cancer and the odds of beating the cancer greatly depend on early diagnosis and treatment. Higher rates of breast cancer survival have been reported in recent years. This is because treatment has improved, and the average tumor is smaller in size. Getting regular mammograms increases the chance of early breast cancer detection, which can also lead to earlier treatment when the tumors are smaller.
Types
There are two main types of breast cancer: Ductal carcinoma, which begins in the ducts that transport milk from the breast to the nipple. Most women who get diagnosed with breast cancer have ductal carcinoma, though there is another type called lobular carcinoma. This type starts in parts of the breast called lobules, which is the area that produces milk. In some cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast, though this is incredibly rare.
Effects
There are many side effects associated with various breast cancer treatments. For example, women who undergo chemotherapy are likely to experience bone loss, nerve damage in their hands and feet, hair loss, nausea, fatigue, anemia, diarrhea, and infections. If undergoing radiation for breast cancer, you're likely to experience chest pains, heart problems, lowered white blood cell counts, lung problems, and major skin irritation. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 out of every 8 women (12%) will develop some form of breast cancer and a estimated total of approximately 40,000 women will die from the disease in 2009. While these numbers may seem staggering, survival rates of breast cancer patients increases significantly with chemotherapy treatments.
Considerations
Though very controversial, there are holistic- or all natural- approaches to dealing with breast cancer. Some doctors believe that chemotherapy, radiation and other forms of conventional treatment do more harm than help. One such doctor is Dr. Ralph W. Moss - cancer consultant and author of "The Moss Reports" - suggests that cancer patients seek alternative treatment plans because he believes conventional cancer therapy is "toxic and dehumanizing."
Prevention/Solution
The type of treatment a woman receives for her breast cancer depends on a few factors. These include the type and stage of the cancer, whether or not her cancer is sensitive to specific hormones and whether the cancer overproduces a gene called HER2/neu. Generally speaking, breast cancer treatment can include the following: chemotherapy medicines, which kill cancer cells; radiation therapy, which destroys cancerous tissue; and surgery. The intention of the surgery is to remove all the cancerous tissue in the breast. Sometimes this requires a lumpectomy, which just removes the breast lump, or a mastectomy, which removes all or part of the breast. Though these types of treatment aren't as common, hormonal therapy and targeted therapy are also sometimes used. Hormonal therapy blocks the hormones that fuel cancer growth, while targeted therapy interferes with cancer cell growth and function. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer receive a combination of treatments. For women with stage I, II, or III breast cancer, the goal is to treat the cancer and prevent it from coming back. For women with stage IV cancer, the goal is to improve their quality of life and help them live longer. In most cases, however, stage IV breast cancer cannot be cured.
Survival Rates
Studies conducted by the American Cancer Society (in 2005) have shown that chemotherapy treatments have helped to increase the survival rate in breast cancer patients from 50% to 90% within the past 45 years. Furthermore, breast cancer deaths have dropped about 20% since 1991 due to advances in chemotherapy drugs, cancer prevention techniques and early detection.
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