BREAST CANCER

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INTRODUCTION 

DOCTOR: Hello I'm Dr. John doe and how may I help you. 

PATIENT: Doctor I feel a lump in my left br3ast which has been increasing in size. It is painful and the skin over it is changing colour, often time I see blood coming out of my nipple. 


DOCTOR: Questioning further......??? 

PATIENT: I started m3nstruation early at 10yr old and attained menopause very late at a 55yrs. I eat fatty diets alot. My preferred contraception then was oral contraceptives pill (OCP), now I noticed I've been losing weight lately and I have back pains. 
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Breast cancer 

Two types of cells makse up our breast tissue 

1. One that is primarily concerned with the production of milk and its transport to the nipple surface. Named epithelial cells. 

2. One that provide structural support for the milk producing and transport cell. Named the stroma cells 

Millions of these epithelial and stroma cells comes together to make up the breast architecture. 

Breast cancer commonly develop in the epithelial cells and in breast cancer.

Milk producing epithelial cells are the lobule while transport to the nipple surface are the duct. Cancer developing from the duct is called ductal carcinoma and cancers developing from the lobule is called lobular carcinoma.

ONLY A SINGLE CELL out of these millions of epithelial cells become cancerous. Becoming cancerous means that this SINGLE CELL starts to multiply itself uncontrollably. ONE CANCEROUS CELL can multiply to form millions of cells hence doubling the size of the breast or billions of cells tripling it ... And so on. 

WHY DO PEOPLE GET BREAT CANCER? 

Some factors are associated with it development and they include; 
1. Obesity 
2. Not having a child at all
3. Not breastfeeding 
4. Early menarche. 
5. Late menopause. 
6. Oral contraceptive pills. 
7. Family history of breast cancer. 
8. Previous history of breast cancer in the other breast. 
9. High fatty diet. 
10. Hormonal therapy.
11. Advanced (older) age 
12. Drinking alcohol

PROTECTIVE FACTORS ARE; 
1. Multiparty. 
2. Late menarche. 
3. Early menopause. 
4. Breast feeding. 
5. Maintaining adequate weight. 

HOW AM I GOING TO KNOW IF I HAVE BREAST CANCER ?

You can suspect breast cancer If you are about 40 years or older and you feel lump that you find it difficult to move. If you noticed colour changes on the skin overlying the lump or if the skin is ulcerated, if the nipple is discharging blood. If you noticed you been losing weight and appetite, you may be sweating excessive at night. And because on the long run the cancerous cells can spread to the other parts of the body (through the lymphatics as shown in diagram above), you might experience bone pains if it spread to the bones, back aches, coughing if it spread to the lungs, abdominal pains if it spreads to the abdomen.

     Any of these symptoms is strong enough to warrant your presentation at a Hospital where tests would be conducted to make the diagnosis and state the extent of the disease. 

TREATMENT 

Treatment would be based on the extent (Stage) of the disease which would be determined solely at the Hospital. 
Ranges between combination of Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy.

PREVENTION

1. Females are advised to go for breast cancer screening known as Mammography when they are 35 years and above. Especially if the risk factors above are present. 

2. Lifestyle modification including maintaining a healthy weight, eating an adequate diet. 

3. Self Breast Examination- should be done regular. Every women should be taught how to do this. CHECK IT OUT HERE ===> http://www.fgiclinic.com/2016/05/self-breast-examination-sbe.html#more

CAN MEN DEVELOP BREAST CANCER? 

Yes they can and the outcome in men is usually unfavourable. 

CONCLUSION?

 Breast cancer if detected early is treatable but late detection or presentation to the Hospital can simply change the name to Whole body Cancer as the cancerous cell would have spread to other part of the body which would be more difficult to treat. DONT IGNORE BREAST CANCER! NEVER. Thank you.