Breast Cancer is a type of cancer originating from breast tissues. Most commonly in the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supplies the ducts with milk.
1. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas while those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas.
Breast cancer occurs in humans and other mammals. While overwhelming majority in human cases occur in women. Male breast cancer can also occur.
2. The size, rate of grwoth, stage and other characteristics of a breast cancer determine the kinds of treatment. Treatment may include surgery (hormonal therapy and chemotherapy), drugs, radiation and/or immunotherapy.
3. Surgical removal of the tumor provides the single largest benefit. With surgery alone curing many cases. To increase the likelihood of cure, several chemotherapy regimens are commonly given in addition to surgery.
Radiation is used after breast- conserving surgery and substantially improves removal local relapse rates and in many circumstances also overall survival.
4. Some breast cancers are sensitive to hormones such as estrogen and/or progesterone which makes it possible to treat them by blocking the effects of these hormones. Worldwide, breast cancer comprises 22.9% of all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) on women. In 2008, breast cancer caused 458,503 death worldwide (13.7% of cancer deaths in women).
5. Breast cancer is more than 100 times more common in women than in men. Although, mentioned to have poorer outcomes due to delays in diagnosis.
6. Prognosis.and survival rates for breast cancer vary greatly depending on the cancer type, stage, treaent and geographical location of the patient.
Survival rates on the Western world are high for example more than 8 out of 10 women (84%) in England diagnosed with breast cancer survived for at least 5 years.
7. In developing countries, however, survival rates are much poorer.
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