breast cancer

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Table of content
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….3
Development of breast cancer and the difference between a normal breast tissue and a cancerous one. ………………………………………………………………………….3-4
The global statistics of breast cancer ……………………………………………….…4
The stages and types of breast cancer ………………………………………………….4-5
The risk factors………………………………………………………………………….5-6
cause and effect ……………………………………………………………….……….6
Treatments………………………………………………………………………………6-7
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….7
Reference list…………………………………………………………………………….8
Breast cancer
Breasts like other parts of the body are made of cells that grow and divide to produce more similar cells.1 At times the growth and diving do not follow the normal path which results to the production of more abnormal cells in an uncontrollable manner. The extra cells produced contribute to the formation of a lump in the tissues. The lump is called a tumor when the tumor becomes malignant it leads to the formation of cancerous cells. On the other hand, benign tumors do not lead to the formation of cancerous cells.4 Ductal carcinoma is the most frequent type of breast cancer, with its origin on the breast duct cells. Breast cancer is the second common cancer that is diagnosed across the globe after the lung cancer. There is no conventional treatment for breast cancer, but it’s a relief to notice that chemotherapy and surgery are some of the interventions used to manage the problem. The causes of Cancer are linked to genetic make-up, lifestyle and eating habits, the environment, and the hormone in birth control pills.

Women are more vulnerable to developing breast cancer than men.
Development of breast cancer and the difference between a normal breast tissue and a cancerous one.
Cancer develops from malignant cells after the formation of a lump of abnormal cells. The abnormal cells come from the wrong path taken for growth and development of the cells in the breast ducts and the lobes.1 A mammography test helps to show the difference between a normal and cancerous breast. A biopsy is used for the confirmation of the mammography test.5 Darks tissues on the mammography images reveal the ducts, lobe, and other parts of the breast tissue while the white represents the fatty tissues. The white parts which represent the fatty tissue portray the less-dense nature of the breast.6 This distinctive views of the breasts makes it easier to diagnose cancer since it reveals the abnormal lump in the breast. On the other hand, the dense tissues make it hard to diagnose the presence of cancer.
The global statistics of breast cancer
Both Globocan and the breast cancer research foundation suggested that in 2012 approximately 1.7 breast cancer cases were diagnosed.2-3 The same source reported that breast cancer was the second common kind of cancer in both men and women. It also revealed that more women than men are victims of breast cancer. Breast cancer accounted for over eleven percent of new cancer cases, with 25 percent of these cases on women with breast cancer.2 The statistics also revealed that in the underdeveloped world breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer-related mortalities.3 Over 800,000 breast cancer cases were registered from the undeveloped world and 794000 from the developed world. Focusing on the current statistics it is indicated that for every four cases of cancer in women one case is breast cancer.2-3 From 2008 the global incidence of breast cancer has increased by 14 percent.2 The survival rate for people with cancer in the developed world is high than those in the underdeveloped world. The reason for this disparity is linked to the better healthcare services based on research in the developed world.
The stages and types of breast cancer
Cancer types can be defined based on the shape of the cells they assume under the microscope. Carcinoma starts from the cells which are typical for breast cancer which starts in the lining of the breast tissues.6 Ductal carcinoma is also called non-invasive cancer which is manifested by the changing of normal cells lining the duct to resemble the cancer cells. The cancer forms in the tissue lining of the ducts before spreading to other parts of the breast and body, this condition is called in situ ductal carcinoma.6 On the other hand, Invasive breast cancer moves from the milk ducts and invades the fatty tissues of the breast. Another form of breast cancer is a Lobular carcinoma, where cancerous cells spread from the glands that produce milk to other parts of the body.6 Between one and three percent of the breast cancer are inflammatory breast cancer which is characterized by a red and warm skin without a lump. Other types of breast cancer which are uncommon include the Paget disease of the nipple, angiosarcoma, papillary carcinoma, and medullary carcinoma.
The diagnosis of breast cancer is used to determine the stage of the breast cancer and whether it has spread to other tissues of the breast and surrounding body parts.6 The knowledge of cancer is used to determine the treatment and whether it will work. The in-situ carcinoma is considered stage zero and them it follows from stage one to two with some stages having sub-divisions. The tumor size ranges from stage to another for instance at stage two it is two centimeter and stage three it grows to 3 cm.6 In the zero and first stage it has not spread to other cells or body parts, but from the second stage, it starts to invade surrounding cells and body parts.
The risk factors
Risk factors are those elements linked to a disease occurrence, but you have no control over them for instance gender, genetic predisposition, and age.1-5 Women are at 100 % risk of developing breast cancer. Studies have revealed that the estrogen and progesterone found in women in large amount are linked to breast cancer. Also, the aging process is natural course and the risk increases with age. For instance, women at age 55 years and above are frequently diagnosed with breast cancer 5. Correspondingly, Genetic predisposition mean that the breast cancer agent can be found in hereditary material and transmitted to offspring. Studies have linked five to ten percentage of breast cancer cases to an inherited mutant gene. For instance, the BRCA 1&2 are the genes that assist in the synthesis of anti-cancer protein, but if they are mutated they do not perform their role and cancer
causes negative effects.

Breast cancer cannot be linked to a given particular causative agent, but some risks factors mentioned above, and other factors lead to the development of various types of breast cancer.5 The environment, the diet, the lifestyle, and the birth control pills contribute to the development of breast cancer. Similarly, Sedentary lifestyles and taking fat diets contribute to the breast cancer cases for post-menopausal women.5 Likewise, consumption of alcohol in high volumes has been linked to breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer increases with the increase in the amount of consumed alcohol. For instance, two alcoholic drinks a day, contribute to at least two percent risk for developing cancer more than such risks for non-drinkers. At the same time females working at radiology departments exposed to small doses of the x-ray radiations have slightly increased chances of developing breast cancer.5 The birth control pill is used to control fertility by changing the hormonal balance in women body, a condition which is linked to precipitation of the breast cancer.
Treatments
There is no known single treatment for breast cancer, but depending on the stage of development, various management strategies can be applied. Surgery is used to treat cancer based on the stage and type of tumor formed.4 The breast cancer surgery performed help to remove the tumor, or the removal of the entire breast may be recommended. Similarly, Radiology therapy applies x-rays of high energy to target a specific tumor to kill the cancer cells. It is also used to kill the tumor which may recur from a previously extracted tumor site. Another treatment used is the implanted radioactive catheter, which is applied alongside radiotherapy. Chemotherapy applies anti-cancer drugs to treat the cancer cells.4 Before chemotherapy, various factors are considered which include the stage of cancer, the medical history, patient’s age, and tolerance to chemotherapy drugs. This treatment is offered in cycles with a period to rest the body from the effects of the drugs.4 Also, methods like gene therapy and oncogenes deactivation are used to manage the cancer heredity material. Conclusion
In conclusion, breast cancer is the abnormal grow and proliferation of breast cells and tissues. Breast cancer develops in stages with the lamp increasing in size. It also invades surrounding cells and tissue with advancement in stages. The stage starts from zero them to stage one progressively to stage four. Risk factors include gender, the hormonal imbalance caused by the birth control pills, lifestyle, mutant genes, and the environment. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are some of the treatment for breast cancer.
Reference list
Assi HA, Khoury KE, Dbouk H, Khalil LE, Mouhieddine TH, El Saghir NS. Epidemiology and prognosis of breast cancer in young women. Journal of thoracic disease. 2013 Jun 14;5(1):S2-8.
Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Breast Cancer Statistics [Internet]. Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 2016 [cited 3 October 2016]. Available from: https://www.bcrfcure.org/breast-cancer-statistics
Globocan. GLOBOCAN Cancer Fact Sheets: Breast cancer [Internet]. Globocan.iarc.fr. 2016 [cited 3 October 2016]. Available from: HYPERLINK “http://globocan.iarc.fr/old/FactSheets/cancers/breast-new.asp” http://globocan.iarc.fr/old/FactSheets/cancers/breast-new.asp
Kataja V, Castiglione M, ESMO Guidelines Working Group. Primary breast cancer: ESMO clinical recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Annals of Oncology. 2009 May 1;20(suppl 4):iv10-4.
McPherson, K., Steel, C., & Dixon, J. M. (2000). Breast cancer—epidemiology, risk factors, and genetics. Bmj, 321(7261), 624-628.
Sharma, G. N., Dave, R., Sanadya, J., Sharma, P., & Sharma, K. K. (2010). Various types and management of breast cancer: An overview. Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research, 1(2), 109.