Breast Cancer
In the previous post, I talked about the science of why men love breasts. In this post, we are going to explore more about breasts, but this time, I am going to be a little biased to my female readers because we are going to talk about breast cancer and how to take care of your breasts. That doesn't mean that men shouldn't know about this issue, though. Breast cancer does not only occur to women. An estimated of over 2,000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer every year in America and 400 men in the UK.
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| Image via breakthough.org.uk |
Breast Cancer -- How It Manifests
Each breast contains 10-20 glands called lobe. When a woman is breastfeeding, the lobe produces milk for the offspring. The lobes are connected to the nipple by tubes called ducts. Breast cancer usually starts within the small structures of the lobes.
The lymph vessel and lymph node are located on the armpits and breasts. They carry lymph fluid, which is part of the immune system. Breast cancer can spread to other parts of the body through this lymph system or the vessels.
We all know that cancer is caused by cells multiplication gone wrong. Basically, what happens is when a cell is copied with a mistake in DNA or with mutation, the cell somehow survives proceeds to behave strangely and splitting into more abnormal cells at a rapid rate. This creates a tumor. Bear in mind that cells with mutation don't always survive or turn into a tumor. In addition to that, not all tumors turn into cancer; they are called benign tumors. The difference between tumors and cancer is the ability to invade neighboring tissues.
The ABCs of Early Detections
With any type of cancer, your best bet to destroy the cancerous tumor is early detection. Set a personal action plan in order to be on alert for any early signs and warning.
Annual Mammogram: have a mammogram of your breasts every year, starting from age 40.
Breast Awareness: be aware of any changes or lumps in your breasts. Know how your breasts normally look. One of the methods to help detect any unusual changes is to do breast self-exams.
Clinical Breast Exam: have your breasts examined by your doctor or nurse once a year if you're 40+, or once every 3 years if you're 20-40 years old.
Breast Self-Exams
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| Image via lakecharlesobgyn.com |
Women should do breast self-exams regularly when the breasts are not tender or swollen. However, bear in mind that breast self-exams cannot substitute routine visits to your doctor or nurse; they are only an additional part of keeping an eye on any signs or warnings.
Self-exams should only be done while lying down because in that vertical position, your breasts are spread out evenly across your chest wall, making it easier to detect any lumps.
Use three fingers and apply pressure to the opposite side of your breast to feel for any lumps. For example, use your left fingers to feel your right breast and vice versa.
In addition to that, remember the TLC of breast awareness:
Touch -- touch your breasts to feel for anything unusual.
Look -- look for any abnormality in shape or texture.
Check -- check with your doctor for anything abnormal in your breasts.
Warning signs to look out for:
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| Image via breakthrough.org.uk |
Risks
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain individuals are at a higher risk than other depending on some factors (according to breakthrough.org.uk), such as:
- Age -- older women are at a higher risk in getting breast cancer
- Sex -- females are about 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than males
- Height -- taller women are more likely to get breast cancer as well, but it probably stems from genes, nutrition, and hormone level
- Early puberty -- early puberty increases the chance of getting breast cancer; likely because those women are exposed to estrogen for a longer period of time
- Ethnicity -- once again, the reason why ethnicity influences your chances of getting breast cancer might be because of your genes, culture, and lifestyle choices.
- Genetics -- out of all women who have breast cancer, about one in five has a significant family history of the disease.
- Late menopause -- just like early puberty, women who go through late menopause are exposed to estrogen for a longer period of time
- Lifestyle choices -- varies from drinking, breastfeeding (it may decreases the chance of getting breast cancer), physical activity, taking the contraceptive pill, pregnancy, weight gain (being overweight or obese puts you at a greater risk), diet, and smoking.
Remember that there are treatments for breast cancer. I won't go into details because it's very scientific and I don't want to bore you to sleep, but the main treatments are:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy
- Targeted therapy
- Bone-directed therapy
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Side Note: I hope that you guys learned at least a little bit more about breast cancer. This is a battle for us to fight and stay strong. As for women who have fought breast cancer, you are truly inspiring -- please keep on fighting. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I know it's a cliché, but it still rings true. Your beauty is not defined by your breasts; they are defined by your strength, for your strength shines through and that, right there, is beauty. Here are some more inspiring women who have fought breast cancer: http://www.upworthy.com/some-swimwear-plays-peekaboo-a-monokini-shows-what-these-women-dont-want-to-hide?c=ufb2
I hope everyone had/is having a great weekend! Think Pink!
Love, Catherine
XOXO
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