What Is Breast Cancer?

Cancer is a term that has a broad meaning. However, Breast Cancer starts from the cells found inside a breast. They can then spread towards other areas of a body if not treated on time. The occurrence starts when malignant tumors develop inside the breast. These cells start spreading away slowly and begin to enter the blood vessels and then branch out to different tissues of the body. As they travel to different parts of the body they start damaging different areas and organs.

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Breast Cancer Facts

  • Risk for breast cancer increases with age.
  • 77% women that have breast cancer are over the age of 50.
  • All women regardless of their racial or ethnic origin or heritage are at risk of developing breast cancer.
  • Women in Pakistan are more prone to have breast cancer than in India.
  • Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths amongst women.
  • Risk of breast cancer can be reduced by a healthy diet and regular exercise.
  • About 5-10% of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary.
  • Overweight and obese women are more likely to develop breast cancer than healthy women.
  • Women who have their first child after the age of 30 have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
  • Women who breastfeed for more than 1 year have a lower chance of having breast cancer.
  • No food or diet can prevent anyone from developing breast cancer symptoms.

Male breast cancer:

Breast cancer symptoms in men are most likely similar to those in women. Most male breast cancers are diagnosed when a man discovers a lump on his chest. But they tend to delay going to the doctor until they have much more severe symptoms like bleeding from the nipple. At that point it is possible that the cancer may have already spread throughout the body.

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Causes Of Breast Cancer

  1. Getting older- a women’s age contributes as a factor to developing breast cancer. As the age increases the risk of developing breast cancer increases.

  2. Genetics- A woman who has close relatives who have/had breast or ovarian cancer are more likely to develop breast cancer.

  3. A history of breast cancer- Women who have had breast cancer, even non-invasive cancer, are more likely to develop the disease again, compared to women who have no history of the disease.

  4. Having had certain types of breast lumps- Women who have had some types of benign (non-cancerous) breast lumps are more likely to develop cancer later on.

  5. Dense breast tissue- Women with more dense breast tissue have a greater chance of developing breast cancer.

  6. Estrogen exposure- Women who started having periods earlier or entered menopause later than usual have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This is because their bodies have been exposed to estrogen for longer.

  7. Obesity- Post-menopausal obese and overweight women may have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

  8. Height- Taller-than-average women have a slightly greater likelihood of developing breast cancer than shorter-than-average women.

  9. Alcohol consumption- The more alcohol a woman regularly drinks, the higher her risk of developing breast cancer is.

  10. Radiation exposure- Undergoing X-rays and CT scans may raise a woman's risk of developing breast cancer slightly.

  11. HRT (hormone replacement therapy)- Both forms, combined and estrogen-only HRT therapies may increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer slightly.