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Women and Breast Cancer Information

There is Hope after Breast Cancer

Being diagnosed with breast cancer is not equivalent to death, nor does it mean the end of the world for the patient.

It is very understandable for a woman to find it difficult to accept the fact that she has breast cancer. Just like any other ailment, one would initially find it unsettling.

After all, cancer is a life-threatening disease. However, one should not lose hope because it is highly treatable.

As long as cancer is diagnosed at its earliest stage and the cancer cells are eliminated as soon as possible, then there is life after this disease.

Some breast cancer symptoms are: a foreign lump on the breast, an unusual discharge from the nipple and an unusual feeling of heat or a change in the skin on the breast area.

The healing of this disease lies within the patient's will to survive. No matter how late the stage of cancer is, as long as the person has the will and faith to survive, then she most probably will.

Breast Cancer Risks & Prevention

There are no specific rules that apply when you ask why one person would have breast cancer as compared to another person.

What medical professionals know, instead, is that there are factors which may increase the risks of a person developing cancer.

The key here is to know about the factors which may lead you to develop breast cancer and what you can do as an individual to avoid it.

However, there are certain risk factors which are unavoidable. A person's genes, for example, may increase the probability of a person having cancer.

Breast cancer is hereditary so if you have a relative who has this disease, then there will be some chance of you getting it as well.

Here are some ways on how you can prevent breast cancer:

-Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator or SERM.

This is a drug that can help prevent breast cancer. A type of SERM which lowers the risks of a person getting breast cancer is called tamoxifen.

This is applicable for women who have an increased susceptibility to breast cancer. If a woman knows that she is a candidate for having breast cancer, then she can consult a medical professional if this form of treatment will help prevent breast cancer.

Another type of SERM known as raloxifene may also be used to help decrease the risks of a person developing breast cancer.

-Hormonal factors may increase breast cancer risks.

Studies have shown that the hormones produced by the ovaries increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, which is also why women are more prone to breast cancer than men.

If there is a grave risk of a woman developing breast cancer, then the ovaries might need to be removed. This will reduce the risk of a person developing breast cancer.

Another factor which contributes to a higher probability of a woman getting breast cancer is taking oral contraceptives.

Additionally, a woman who previously gave birth would have lesser chances of getting breast cancer as compared to a woman over the age of 35 who has not had a pregnancy yet.

-Exposure to radiation will also increase the risk of having breast cancer.

As much as possible, it is better to avoid being exposed to radiation, an example of which is getting the chest x-rayed.

-Having a healthy lifestyle will reduce the risk of having breast cancer.

Just like any other disease, the risks of having breast cancer may be reduced if a person leads a healthy lifestyle.

Alcohol intake and a fatty diet may also increase the possibility of a woman getting this type of disease so it is better to stay healthy and eat well.

Many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are declared 'terminal' have survived despite the odds.

What they did not lack is faith, the will to survive and the willingness to learn everything that there is to know about breast cancer.

Breast cancer need not be a 'killer disease'. Despite the rampant spreading of this disease among women of a certain age, education about the risks and factors contributing to breast cancer will be the weapon used to fight against it.

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