Life-threatening malignancies in one or both breasts is termed as breast cancer. Breast cancer can be both noninvasive, the one that does not spread and invasive which has high chances of spreading.

Ductal carcinoma and Lobular carcinoma are both noninvasive, if left untreated it can develop in to invasive. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma and infiltrating lobular carcinoma which spreads in the wall of the duct and the wall of a lobules respectively.

History of breast cancer can be traced back to 1600 B.C. it is considered as one of the oldest known tumors. In Papyrus writing tumors or ulcers of the breast and its cure were mentioned. For very long time there was no cure for the condition. Then in 1749-1806 the Scottish surgeon Benjamin Bell and the French surgeon Jean Louis Petit were the first one to remove the affected breast tissue, and underlying chest muscle.

There are different stages through which carcinoma of breast occurs. They are: 1. Onset of the carcinogenic cells. 2. Cancer is either 1- 2 inches long and spread to lymph nodes only. 3.Cancer has spread to tissues near the breast. 4. Cancer has spread to other organs of the body.

The ways in which you can kick off the breast cancer are: 1. Surgery: Depending on the stage and onset of the cancer, removal of lymph is necessary to remove the cancer cells. This process is termed as lumpectomy. In advance cases the removal of entire breast will only help the situation and it is termed as mastectomy. 2. Systemic therapy uses medication to treat the damaged cancer cells in the body. Immune therapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are the types of systemic therapy. Chemotherapy are used before and after surgery.

Neo-adjuvant type of chemotherapy is given before surgery for reducing the size of the tumor. Adjuvant chemotherapy is suggested after surgery to reduce the recurrence. Chemotherapy has many side effect. The hormonal treatments include tamoxifen and Aromatase inhibitors are specially given to pre menopausal and postmenopausal women to decrease the level of estrogen in their body. 3. Radiation therapy involves high powered gamma rays or x-rays that precisely work on the target the area that needs treatment. These rays are effective in destroying the cancer cells and prevent recur from the place where the tumor was removed. The main purpose of this therapy is to prevent recur. Radiation therapy is done by linear Accelerator. Radiation therapy is usually done after surgery of breast cancer and an essential treatment for breast conserving therapy.

With all these therapies and self confidence anything and every problem can be chopped off.

Keith Londrie
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/breast-cancer-information-62787.html

Filed under: carcinoma cancer

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