when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control and can then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Large collections of this out of control tissue are called tumors. However, some tumors are not really cancer because they cannot spread or threaten someone's life. These are called benign tumors. The tumors that can spread throughout the body or invade nearby tissues are considered cancer and are called malignant tumors. Theoretically, any of the types of tissue in the breast can form a cancer, but usually it comes from either the ducts or the glands. Because it may take months to years for a tumor to get large enough to feel in the breast, we screen for tumors with mammograms, which can sometimes see disease before we can feel it.

Types of Breast cancers:

Breast cancer can be classified into following categories depending upon the location, the size and severity.

DCIS - Ductal Carcinoma in Situ : DCIS is a non-invasive cancer and requires careful medical treatment. It stays inside the milk duct of breast and also referred as tumor in situ for this reason. Sometimes it is also considered as pre-cancerous condition.
LCIS - Lobular Carcinoma in Situ : LCIS is sometimes also considered as a pre-cancerous conditions because the cancer is confined to the lobules.
IDC - Invasive Ductal Carcinoma : The cancer starts from the milk ducts and spread to surrounding tissues.
ILC - Invasive Lobular Carcinoma : The cancer starts from Lobules and spread to the surrounding tissues.

Causes of Breast Cancer

A women easily getting a breast cancer, if her sister, mother or daughter had already breast cancer. The Causes of Breast Cancer are includes :

The older a woman is when she has her first child, the greater her chance of breast cancer.
Women who had their first menstrual period before age 12 are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
Women who went through menopause after age 55 are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
Women who never had children are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
Women who take menopausal hormone therapy with estrogen plus progestin after menopause also appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Large, well-designed studies have shown no link between abortion or miscarriage and breast cancer.
The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older.
A woman who had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting cancer in her other breast.
Having certain types of abnormal cells (atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ [LCIS]) increases the risk of breast cancer.
The more alcohol a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer.

Sings and Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Some the symptoms of the Breast Cancer are:-

Lump or thickening in the breast or underarm.
Nipple tenderness.
Change in size or shape of the breast.
Nipple discharge or nipple turning inward.
Redness or scaling of the skin or nipple.
Ridges or pitting of the breast skin.

Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Family medical history and personal history will be asked by the health care provider to diagnose the disease. Mammogram test and physical examination test may recommend by the doctor. Biopsy test may help to look for cancer cells. Ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, surgical biopsy are used to diagnosis the breast cancer.

Treatment of Breast Cancer

The Treatment of breast cancer will involve surgery followed by a combination of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and radiation.

Surgery - Removal of the lump (called a lumpectomy) is the preferred technique. Removal of lymph nodes in the armpit may be undertaken as well. Removal of the breast (called a mastectomy) is only performed if absolutely necessary.

Chemotherapy - Medicines that interfere with cancer cell growth and division are administered to reduce the size of tumours or kill them.

Hormonal therapy - Hormones are chemical signals which are released by different parts of the body and can carried in the blood to some other area to have an effect. Oestrogen is a sex hormone that promotes the growth of some breast cancers. Hormonal treatments, such as anti-oestrogens, aromatase inhibitors or LHRH analogues, are designed to block the effects of oestrogen or its production, which stops or slows the growth of cancer cells.

Radiation therapy - X-rays or other high-energy rays are applied to the tumour and surrounding areas to destroy cancer cells.

Prevention Tips of Breast Cancer

Ask your doctor about aspirin.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Discuss long-term hormone therapy with your doctor.
Doing physically active daily.
Eat foods high in fiber.
Consider limiting fat in your diet.
Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can help protect you from cancer.
Avoid exposure to pesticides.
Avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.

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