OVERCOME BREAST CANCER THROUGH COURAGE AND STRENGTH

OVERCOME BREAST CANCER THROUGH COURAGE AND STRENGTH

It is the worst feeling in the world when one of your family member or relative is dying of cancer and slowly progressing towards death but due to lack of knowledge or sufficient resources you cannot take them out of this hell.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women these days regardless of their age.

The exact cause of breast cancer remains unclear but there are certain risk factors which may cause breast cancer.

RISK FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS BREAST CANCER

AGE: advancing age makes women more prone to breast cancer.

GENES: mutation of genes controlling breast tissues develop breast cancer.

HORMONAL THERAPY: Women who take more oral contraceptives and postmenopausal estrogen medications to reduce the signs of post menopause symptoms have high risk of breast cancer.

INHERITANCE: If you have any family relative having breast cancer like mother, daughter, sister or grandmother your chances of having cancer will increase.

PREVIOUS BREAST CANCER: If you have had breast cancer in the past you can have it again in the opposite breast or in different area of previously effected breast.

ALCOHOL INTAKE: If your alcohol consumption is more you are at risk.


SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BREAST CANCER

The first symptom that is being noticed is by women herself is self-examination of the breast.

It is not necessary to find the symptom early as in early stages it is hard to find any symptom as tumor is small to be felt but it can be seen on mammogram.

The first symptom is feeling a lump in the breast or armpit but not all lumps are cancer.

Other symptoms include breast pain, redness of the underlying skin, breast discharge mostly containing blood, peeling and flaking of the underlying skin, inverted nipple, and change is the size and shape of breast.

IF you see any of the above symptom that doesn’t necessarily means that you have breast cancer but it’s important to consult doctor immediately for further testing and diagnosis.

DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER

If any of the above symptoms are suspicious of breast cancer further investigations needs to be done including mammography and ultrasound of the breast.

SIX monthly mammography has to be done in women who are at risk of developing breast cancer and having a strong positive family history of breast cancer.

INVASIVE TESTS

Further test to be done is invasive in which a sample of breast tissue is taken and tested further.

TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER

Treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy.

SURGERY: Includes mastectomy (removal of affected whole breast.

Lumpectomy: Removal of lump and leaving rest of the breast tissues.

SENTINEL NODE BIOPSY: Removal of the lymph node draining the tumor if it does not have cancer further no need of lymph removing surgery.

RADIATION THERAPY: With radiation therapy high power beams of radiations are used to kill the cancer cells.

CHEMOTHERAPY: Certain drugs are used to destroy cancer cells. These drugs have its own side effects on human body sometimes these effects may get worse.

HORMONE THERAPY: If breast tissues are sensitive to hormone, ant hormonal therapy can be given which will stop the growth of tumor.

 PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT OF WOMEN HAVING BREAST CANCER

The level of stress in women undergoing cancer diagnosis and course of treatment varies from women to women. Here continuous psycho social support is very important from family and friends.

Some of the psycho social concerns of patients are:

Fear of having cancer again

Tiredness

Sleep disturbances

Treatment related anxieties

Sexual dysfunction

Disturbance of family life

Quality of life

Body image disruption

So here family support is very important morally and emotional support will bring a positivity and courage in the patient to fight against cancer.

SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY

Low blood count

Fatigue

Memory loss

Hair loss

Darkening of skin

Diarrhea

Infection

Fertility issues

LOWER YOUR RISK OF GETTING BREAST CANCER

There is an inverse relation between cancer and exercise. As the level of physical activity increases

It decreases the incidence of breast cancer, the reason still remains unclear.

Exercise may also reduce the risk of cancer recurrence if you are a cancer survivor or undergoing cancer treatment.

FIGHT THE BATTLE WITH COURAGE

Cancer is like fighting a battle but with courage and strength. Life is given once and losing hopes will not help.

Your illness does not define you.

Your STRENGTH and COURAGE does

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