Breast cancer

You may have heard of walks or careers that are organized in order to raise money for research to find a cure for breast cancer. Or maybe you've seen people wearing pink bows on their clothes.

Breast cancer is very common in women. It is not common in men and never affects children. But children may want to know what this disease is about because they know someone who has it or because they want to learn to detect it when they grow up.

What is breast cancer?

The whole body is made up of basic components called "cells". Your body creates them and replaces them with new ones when they die. In general, the body generates healthy normal cells that fulfill the function for which they were created. This includes the breast cells (those bulging areas located in the front of your chest).

But when a cell takes an abnormal shape and, in certain cases, harmful, can divide quickly without dying and make many copies of itself. When this happens, the growth and formation of a tumor (the group of abnormal cells of the body that form a mass or nodule) usually begin.

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that is generated in the cells of a person's breasts. You may think that only women can develop breast cancer, but in reality, since all human beings have breast tissue, men can also suffer from this disease (although it is very rare).

Tumors can form anywhere in the body. A person has cancer when the abnormal cells of the body do not stop growing and reproducing. These cells make the body get sick. It is possible for a person suffering from breast cancer to have cancer cells only in one part of the breast and that these can be detected by touch as a nodule (lump). Or, cancer can spread throughout one or both breasts. Sometimes, breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, such as bones.

Why do people have breast cancer?

Any woman can have breast cancer, but doctors have determined that there are certain factors that make some women more likely to get sick.

. Family history: A woman whose mother, sister, aunt or daughter has had breast cancer is more likely to have the disease.

. Age: as a woman ages, the chances of getting cancer increase. Teenagers, as well as women between the ages of 20 and 40, are less likely to develop breast cancer.

. Diet and lifestyle: Women who smoke, eat high-fat foods, drink alcohol and do not exercise enough are at increased risk of developing breast cancer.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

It is possible that a woman with breast cancer does not feel that she has any problem, but it is also probable that she has detected a no painful nodule in her breast. The monthly examination that women do of their breasts usually helps detect nodules or other changes that the doctor should examine.

Most breast nodules are not cancerous, but for safety, the doctor should examine them. Noncancerous nodules in the breast may be scar tissue or cysts (small pockets or lumps filled with fluid) or just normal changes in the breast associated with a hormonal change or with the aging of the person.

It is possible that when girls begin to go through puberty and develop their breasts, they notice a lump under the nipple. Usually, this is normal. To be sure it is not important, ask your parents or your doctor about this change.

What will the doctor do?

Sometimes the doctor will discover a nodule in a woman's chest during a routine examination or it is also possible that the patient will go to the doctor with questions about the nodule he found. In other cases, mammography will reveal the nodule that the woman could not detect when feeling her breasts. A mammogram is a special type of chest x-ray that allows doctors to see what's going on inside the breasts.

When a nodule is found, the doctor will want to analyze it. The best way to do this is through a biopsy. In a biopsy, a small amount of breast tissue is removed with a needle or by a small operation. Afterward, the tissue is analyzed using a microscope to see if there are cancer cells.

The biopsy may be benign, which means that the nodule is not cancerous. If, on the other hand, the biopsy shows cancer cells, the nodule is malignant. If the breast nodule contains cancer cells, the woman will have to decide, along with her doctor and her family, what the next step should be.

The treatment against breast cancer

The type of cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer and whether it has spread from the breast to other parts of the body.

The most common treatments are the following:

 . Nodulectomy: this procedure removes the cancerous tumor from the breasts. In general, the woman should be operated on when the cancer is detected early and the nodule is small and is found in only part of the breast.

 . Mastectomy: In this procedure, the entire breast is removed. This operation is done when cancer has spread throughout the breast or other parts of the body. It is a good way to remove all cancer and also helps to prevent cancer from spreading or coming back. Sometimes a woman who has had a mastectomy may ask to have surgery to rebuild the breast so that her shape resembles the original.

. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy: These are usually used after nodulectomy or mastectomy to make sure all cancer cells are destroyed and do not grow back. The radiation therapy uses X-rays of high intensity to kill cancer cells. The chemotherapy is a special drug that travels throughout the body and destroys cancer cells.

How to live with breast cancer

Having to face breast cancer is usually very difficult, both for the woman who suffers from the disease and for her family. It is likely that the woman who has to be operated on or treated for breast cancer does not feel well for a while. You may also feel depressed because you have had to take a breast. If the woman needs chemotherapy, her hair will probably fall out and she will feel sick to her stomach. She will also worry that cancer will come back and make her sick again.

The good news is that many times, especially if the nodule is detected early, women with breast cancer manage to lead normal, healthy lives after treatment. Some women join support groups to talk with other women who face the same emotions about breast cancer.

There are even support groups that admit children or other family members to talk about how they feel when a loved one has breast cancer. If you are worried about a loved one, talk to an adult you trust.

Prevention of breast cancer

Doctors and scientists work to find a cure for all types of breast cancer. These people investigate the development of new medicines that prevent the disease. But in the meantime, it is important for women to detect the disease early.

The best way for a woman to protect herself is by having regular mammograms (along with monthly breast self-exams). Ask the women you love most if they are taking these important steps.