About Cancer

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases in today's world. It includes a host of different types, where the cells divide abnormally to form lumps or tumours. Some tumours are benign and some are malignant.This is a process wherein if too many new cells are created they form a tumour, cancerous if malignant but not otherwise. The benign tumours do not cause cancer but the malignant ones affect other tissues and surrounding organs.

According to research, 2 in 4 persons may end up having cancer in their life-time. It is uncommon

Causes of cancer are generally a disruption in the orderly path of cell growth to make the cells continue to grow and divide in an uncontrollable manner.

Some of the cancers are prostrate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer etc.Most patients with cancers can be cured and even if not totally cured, it can be kept under control for years and months and can be treated.

Breast Cancer among all other cancers is increasingly growing among the masses. This includes both male and female breast cancer patients. The percentage of males who suffer from male breast cancer as par with women is 1.2%.Compared to 41000 women, around 500 men die in the US each year due to breast cancer which accounts for some 1% of all cancer related deaths. When there is an excess of cells and it results in malignant tumours which can spread to nearby tissues and organs.Cancer of the breast for male is called adenocarcinomas for they are created in ducts and lobules.

Symptoms of Breast cancer in both men and women are:

• Lumps
• Swelling
• Skin changes
• Painless lump
• Abnormality
• Very tender nipple
• Swelling or redness
• Puckering or dimpling or indenting of skin.
• Fluid discharges from nipple
• Nipple turns inwards.

These are a few risk factors which strongly increase the chances of breast cancer in men as well as women:

Radiation exposure - Those men or women who has undergone some kind of treatment or radiation therapy and on their chest area are prone to breast cancer

The genetic connection - Women who have a family history of breast cancer are highly susceptible to the same and more so if it is a first degree or second degree relations like a sister or mother. Same applies for men who have women relatives with B.cancer.

Age factor- Women and men of older age tend to have breast cancer more than others. There are 80% chances of a woman over 50 to get cancer compared to 5% chance of younger women.

History of breast cancer - If a woman or man has already suffered breast cancer in one breast; he or she has more possibility of developing cancer.

Hyperestrogenism- Sometimes some men have a condition where they have abnormally high amounts of estrogen, the female hormone. The breasts become enlarged and such conditions make the men prone to cancer.

Cancer treatment is administered through various methods like radiotherapy, surgery, active surveillance, Chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy. In case of any abnormal growth, a doctor should be consulted since diagnosis is the first step to successfully cure cancer. An examination of the abnormality should be done and then it would be diagnosed using low-yield X-ray images or mammograms followed by CAT or MRI as also enzyme and blood test and biopsy before deciding on chemotherapy or surgical removal.

Generally, after a cancer treatment, a patient has to take care and be cautious about the food intake. They should eat more grain products, vegetables and fruits, a variety of food, to include garlic and low alcohol, caffeine and salt intake in diet and an increase in physical activity. After the treatment, the patient experiences various side effects and this range from nausea to fatigue and constipation to vomiting.

All kinds of cancer, including breast cancer can be prevented if a person stops smoking and drinking which will notably decrease chances of cancer of the lung, liver and throat. A healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables along with proper protection from strong sunlight will also help prevent cancer. Regular screening and self-examination also helps keep the abnormalities in check.