Frequency of breast cancer is growing in developed countries (especially in Western Europe and North America, except in Japan), this type of cancer is by far the most common cancer of women. Each year, breast cancer is responsible for 77,000 deaths in Europe, of which 40% in women under 65. Incidence of this cancer, i.e. number of new cases during the year, increase, but mortality reached a plateau, which entitles us to say that hope of survival is increasing.
Risk factors are:
- Personal reasons: precocity of menstruation, absence of birth (nulliparous), a late first pregnancy (after 35 years), late menopause;
- Or family: a history of breast cancer in close family members, suggesting the involvement of genetic factors.
Besides these factors, age is also a risk factor. 7% of breast cancers affect women under 40 years, this percentage increasing with age: 18% at 40-50 years, 32% at 50-60 years and 43% to over 65 years. More research has highlighted the influence of food too high in animal fat and the occurrence of this cancer. Excess weight is a contributing factor.
Early detection - Breast cancer is made through self palpation (woman examines her breasts every month), annual medical examination (by a gynecologist or family doctor), but mostly by mammography. The contribution of mammography. The X-ray radiography shows low penetration of breast tissue density differences. It allows detection of very small tumors (starting at 3 mm) that cannot be found on palpation of the breasts, the latter allowing detection of formations over 0.5 / 1 cm. Result that is an essential technique for early detection of breast cancer because it allows tracking of tumors for years before entering the clinical stage.
Prevention. Systematic screening is recommended at age 50 years by mammography in 2 or 3 years. Before this age, it is important that any woman regularly consult your physician for clinical examination (palpation of the breasts). At the age of 40 years is often recommended a mammogram, even in the absence of any abnormalities.
What is cancer? - The human body consists of 100,000 billion cells that form tissues of different organs (liver, heart, brain). During their life, cells are constantly receiving and emitting similar signals of order: the multiplication of ranks, to stop the division. If a cell no longer responds to these signals, it gets out of any adjustment and can multiply endlessly, in an anarchic manner, in detriment of neighboring cells. Became malignant, she gives birth to cancer.
Diagnosis and treatment - There are several tests to diagnose breast cancer. After obtaining the necessary information, a treatment can be specified. Breast cancer is diagnosed increasingly frequently in the early stages, thanks to systematic detection. This screening in a primitive stage of the disease currently allows healing with most breast cancers without metastasis. For any extra information or donations, you can contact the National Breast Cancer Foundation. There are also a lot of breast cancer survivors which opened a breast cancer foundation to aid women in need.