Everything you need to know about breast cancer-signs, symptoms, causes and treatment options

Breast cancer is a common kind of cancer disease which results from cancer in the breast tissue. There are various signs and symptoms of breast cancer and the most common one is lump formation in the woman’s breast or the change in the shape of the breast. The skin around the breast may get dimpled and fluid may come from the nipples. Women must watch out for the changes taking place on the breast, if any. If there is any development of red and scaly patch over the breast skin, quick action is required. Breast cancer treatment relies on the stage of cancer.

The probable causes of breast cancer

Although we can’t be sure of the cause of breast cancer, some of the probable ones are obesity, smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, menopause, not having children or having it too late. If there is any family history of cancer on the breast, it may show up. The diagnosis is confirmed through the biopsy of the breast lump. After the confirmation of breast cancer, the doctor prescribes further tests to find if the cancer cells have spread or not. If it has spread to other parts of the body, the treatment will be complicated. An effective treatment and a quick medical intervention are required. It is necessary to get in touch with the best doctor for the treatment.

The best treatment options for breast cancer

Risk factors for breast cancer may be genetic, excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking but there are a range of treatments. The best treatments are radiation therapy, surgical removal of breasts and chemotherapy. It may be that the lump on the breast in non-cancerous, but still it is important to take a series of tests and confirm that. In the initial stage of breast cancer development, the person experiences pain in armpit, and this pain continues. There can be an instance of inverted nipple or may be liquid discharge from the nipples.

Cancer

The various stages

It all depends on the size of breast tumor. The stages of breast cancer are as per the size of tumor or whether it has spread to other regions or not. Stages are from 0-4. Stage-4 is the last stage of breast cancer where the cancer cells have invaded the distant organs. They may be lungs, bones and liver. When the tumor is 5cm and spreads to lymph nodes, it is stage-3 of breast cancer. The treatment is completely dependent on the type of cancer it is, the stage of cancer and the person’s sensitivity to certain hormones.

Main treatment options

The main treatment options are drug therapy, biological therapy, chemo and radiation therapy, hormone therapy and surgery. The choice of the treatment option also relies on other medical conditions.

Options in surgery

If surgery is the only treatment option, the doctor may suggest any of the below mentioned options depending on the condition of the patient:

  • Mastectomy
  • breast reconstruction
  • Lumpectomy
  • Axillary lymph node

How can radiation therapy help?

Radiation therapy is also an effective lung cancer treatment. In the radiation therapy, certain dose of radiation is targeted towards the tumor and henceforth the cancer cells are destroyed. The number of sessions relies on the extent to which the cancer cells have increased.

Whether one needs cervical cancer treatment or treatment for lung cancer, breast cancer, it is very important to act quickly and look for a specialist.