Big C

I hate to start blogging (after so long) with a bad and sad news but I think I must pen it down and share with. Two days ago I received a news that my Aunt (My mom's elder sis) diagnosed with breast cancer... I'm unsure of the stage... Visiting her (KL) this Saturday.


I know that people do get cancer and get serious sickness but when it strike your loved ones, I realize that I have difficulty to digest it. I haven't spoken to her.. Been only hearing news from my mum. I'm actually very afraid to speak to her.I can't face the fact. I thought about how my dad passed away due to cancer too. I've been told that she's very strong mentally. I pray for her health everyday...


So, I did some research. I read all I need to know about BREAST CANCER... I am doing my part now.. I want to share with all of you what it is all about... Please take some time to read....


Purrrrr.....




DEFINITON
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. To better understand breast cancer, it helps to understand how any cancer can develop.

Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The genes are in each cell’s nucleus, which acts as the “control room” of each cell. Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. But over time, mutations can “turn on” certain genes and “turn off” others in a cell. That changed cell gains the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it and forming a tumor.

A tumor can be benign (not dangerous to health) or malignant (has the potential to be dangerous). Benign tumors are not considered cancerous: their cells are close to normal in appearance, they grow slowly, and they do not invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous. Left unchecked, malignant cells eventually can spread beyond the original tumor to other parts of the body.

The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast.

SYMPTOMS

Initially, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. A lump may be too small for you to feel or to cause any unusual changes you can notice on your own. Often, an abnormal area turns up on a screening mammogram (x-ray of the breast), which leads to further testing.

In some cases, however, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it's important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor.

According to the American Cancer Society, any of the following unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer:

• swelling of all or part of the breast
• skin irritation or dimpling
• breast pain
• nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
• redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
• a nipple discharge other than breast milk
• a lump in the underarm area

These changes also can be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. It’s important to get any breast changes checked out promptly by a doctor.

LOWERING THE RISK

Every woman wants to know what she can do to lower her risk of developing breast cancer. If you have no personal history of the disease, you want to do what you can to stay clear of it. And if you have had breast cancer, you never want to get it again. You want to know how to lower your risk of the cancer coming back, and you want to reduce your risk of getting an unrelated new breast cancer.

The best defense against breast cancer is a good offense. There are no perfect solutions, but you can do many things to reduce your risk.

Regular screening tests for breast cancer, such as an annual mammogram and a breast exam during your annual checkup, allow you and your doctor to ensure that your breasts are as healthy as they can be. Screening also increases the likelihood that your doctor will find breast cancer early, when it's most treatable.

Source - http://www.breastcancer.org/

Pic : Google Images