It affect the most

The risk of breast cancer increases with increasing age, mostly among females.

Breast Cancer progress

Usually an excess of estrogen stimulates the growth of the tumor.

Causes of Breast Cancer

The causes are

• Positive family history.

• Early menarche

• Late menopause. 

• First child after thirty years of age. 

• Excessive body fat. 

• Prolonged use of oral contraceptive pills.

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for 10 years or more.

• Oncogenes

• menopause

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

The symptoms are

• A painless lump in the breast

• Dimpling of the skin in the area of the lump that looks like orange peel.

• Inversion of the nipple.

• A bloodstained nipple discharge.

• Pain in breast.

• In Paget's disease: patch of dry, flaky skin on the nipple.

• A change in the appearance or texture of the breasts.

• Cachexia 

• General symptoms:    malaise (weariness)
                               loss of appetite
                               fatigue
                               thirst 
                               fever

Staging 

The international TNM classification is recognized for staging:

T- Extent of primary tumor
      T1 to T3 shows the increase in the extent or size of the tumor.

N- Involvement of nodes 
      N1 to N3 shows the increasing node involvement.

M- Presence of metastases (distant spread)
      M0 no metastases
      M1 presence of metastases.

Investigations

The tests conducted are 

• Mammography

• Radiology

• USG

• CT scan

• MRI

• Lymphangiogram

• Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology [FNAC]

• Aspiration

• Biopsy

• Estrogen Sensitivity

• Biochemical screening

Treatment measures

Treatment Depends on: TNM stage  

Estrogen sensitivity

• Includes

• Surgery

• Radiation therapy

• Chemotherapy

• Hormone therapy, or

• Most often, a combination of these.

• chemotherapy

• counseling

Management of pain through

• Oral analgesics and localized techniques of pain relief.

• Antibiotics, in case of presence of infection.

Prognosis

Prognosis is good, if early diagnosis is followed by prompt radical cure. Prognosis worsens with increasing stage of the cancer. 

Prevention

The disease can be prevented through regular self-examination of breasts for lump. If there exists a positive family history of breast cancer then regular mammography should be conducted after the age of 30 years.

Important things one should know about Breast Cancer

One needs to know about the complementary therapies that can help in the healing process

• Relaxation exercises

• Meditation

• Psychological counseling.

• Family and colleagues support.

Terminal care

• Psychological support

• Appropriate nutrition

• Treatment of cough, pruritis and nausea

• Family and friend's support