Month: October 2011

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

A rare type of breast cancer is known as inflammatory breast cancer, often abbreviated IBC, and it is a very aggressive form of cancer, which metastasizes quickly, and presents with symptoms that include redness and swelling around the breast area, as well as a feeling of warmth. Those that have been diagnosed with IBC should enroll in the latest clinical trials, as some of the medicines being tested have had some success and it is important to slow down the spread of cancer as quickly as possible. Of course, you should also follow the recommendation of your doctor and any treatments that he or she prescribes as well.

 

 

What Exactly is IBC?

In inflammatory breast cancer, the cancerous cells block the lymph vessels. IBS starts with one cancerous cell in one of the breast ducts and with the changes of its DNA it duplicates quickly.
The grown number of abnormal breast cells accumulate and clog the lymphatic vessels and than all the symptoms start to appear. The reason that this type of cancer is named ‘inflammatory’ is because of the appearance of the area, which looks red, irritated and inflamed. Around twenty percent of breast cancer cases in the United States are of inflammatory breast cancer and often occurs more in African-American women, and occurs in younger age than other types of cancer. Men do sometimes get IBC, but generally only at a much older age than women. Researchers have found links to family history and IBC.

How Do You Know if You Have IBC?

Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer will usually include a redness and inflammation around the breast, as well as the warmth discussed earlier. However, it may also present with a lump, but this should not be relied upon, as many cases do not have a lump present. The cancer cells will block the lymph vessels and this is what causes the inflammation. Continue reading Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Male Breast Cancer

While most people think of breast cancer, they automatically associate it with females. While the condition is almost always found in women, there are a few thousand men a year that get breast cancer, and it can be as serious or more than it is for women.

Characteristics of Male Breast Cancer

As it happens for females, male breast cancer is influenced by both environmental factors and also genetic factors. However, there is a greater risk, because men are not routinely checked for breast cancer and may be at a more advanced stage. Also, male breast cancer is often characterized by positive lymph nodes. The most common characteristic is a palpable breast mass. Also, men are much more likely to present with nipple discharge than women are.

Male Breast Cancer

 

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Men

Age: The risk of breast cancer increases the older a person is. On average, if a man does have breast cancer, it will be in his late sixties.

Family History or Gene Mutations: Men that have a family history of breast cancer Continue reading Male Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Prevention

There is no exact way to ensure that you can prevent breast cancer, but there are several ways that you can minimize the chances of getting it, and more importantly, increase the chance of it being treated in time for you to get the best chance for a full recovery and not have the cancer return. There are a few ways in which you can lower your risk factors for breast cancer, mainly having to do with the foods you eat, the beverages that you drink, and your lifestyle in general. A few other ways to minimize risk that may surprise you how simple they really are.

Breast Cancer Prevention

However, the most important thing that you can do to prevent breast cancer from becoming a problem, and that is by getting regular checkups from your doctor, specifically for breast cancer. This is because patients whose breast cancer is in its preliminary stages have a hundred percent survival rate, based upon a five year tracking study. While some of the earlier stages are also very survivable, the best way to completely prevent breast cancer is to be checked regularly. There are a few other things that you can do as well.

  • If you have a family history with breast cancer, you should ask your doctor what risks do you have of getting it too. Vary important are regular checkups for early detection.
  • Drink a minimal amount of alcohol. Continue reading Breast Cancer Prevention

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is usually classified by where it starts, whether in the ducts of the breast, or in the lobes, which is the area of the breasts which produces the milk. While the types of cancer can usually be classified even further from the main types, there are these general ones that you should be familiar with.

 

Ductal Carcinoma Cancer– The ducts are the parts of the breast that supply milk to the nipple from the lobes. The cells of the ducts are underneath the nipple and the areola. Most types of breast cancer diagnosed fall into this category – nearly ninety percent in fact. The two types of Ductal Carcinoma are DCIS, which stands for Ductal Carcinoma in situ. This type of cancer stays inside of the ducts and its treatable but it is also a risk factor for recurrent breast cancer or invasive one. The other type of ductal cancer, IDE or Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma, is an invasive cancer that has spread to other tissue in the breast that is nearby. The treatment for each of these types of ductal cancers can vary, and your doctor will determine which is the appropriate course of action .

Lobular Carcinoma Cancer- The abnormal cell start in the lobes, the areas of the breast which are responsible for producing milk. The lobes are actually deeper in the breast than the ducts, which can sometimes make this type of cancer harder to treat. Again, this type of cancer is divided Continue reading Types of Breast Cancer