what increases the risk for breast cancer

what increases the risk for breast cancer

Women have a higher risk of breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. Older women, especially women over the age of 55, have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than younger women.

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If someone has had cancer in one breast before, there is a greater risk of developing cancer in the other breast. If one’s mother, sister or daughter has breast cancer, the risk of breast cancer is many times higher. However, most people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history.

A child or young adult who receives radiation/radiation treatment is at increased risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

Being overweight (or obese) increases the risk of breast cancer. Fat produces the hormone estrogen, which fuels cancer.

Menstruating before the age of 12 increases the risk of breast cancer.

Who is at risk?

A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is higher if a close relative on the mother’s side of the family has had breast cancer.
Menstruation after age 12 and menopause after age 55 increases the risk of breast cancer.
Late menopause increases the risk of breast cancer.

Taking more than five years of hormone replacement therapy as a treatment for postmenopausal syndrome increases the risk of breast cancer.

Pregnancy after age 30, not breastfeeding, genetic mutations can also cause breast cancer.
Doctors say that not exercising regularly, obesity, smoking and drinking can cause breast cancer.
Although women have a higher risk of breast cancer, men can also develop breast cancer. However, if detected in the early stages, this disease can be completely cured. And that’s why doctors recommend self-examination of your breasts at home.

Women can examine their breasts and underarms once a month, on the fifth or seventh day after menstruation, standing in front of a mirror or while taking a shower.

Breast cancer symptoms

1. Swelling in or around the armpits around the breast or feeling like a hard lump when gently touched.
2. Swelling or pain in any part of the breast, puckering of the skin of the breast, or change in the color or shape of the skin of the breast.
3. Changes in the size of both breasts
4. Redness around the breast
5. An inward penetration of any part of the breast
6. Discharge from the nipples.

If one or more of these symptoms appear, you should go to the doctor immediately.

How breast cancer is diagnosed

There are basically three methods to diagnose breast cancer-

1. A mammogram, or a special type of X-ray, helps detect abnormal changes in the breast. A mammogram should be done once a year starting at age 40. Breast cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage through mammogram.
2. Check whether there is a lump in the breast by a doctor.
3. Self-examination of the breast according to certain rules.

However, breast problems do not mean cancer. Check to make sure it is cancer or not. A CT scan, MRI or bone scanning is also done to find out whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body apart from the breast.

treatment

Breast cancer treatment depends on several factors, such as: the type and size of the cancer, whether the cancer is confined to the breast or has spread elsewhere. Taking these factors into consideration, doctors talk about four types of treatment methods.

Breast cancer surgery is done in two ways.

1. Removal of the tumor from the breast is called a lumpectomy.
2. Removal of the entire breast is called a mastectomy.

Apart from this, breast cancer is also treated through radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy. Another big issue in the medical field is mental health. A psychiatrist is often consulted.

Dr. has given some suggestions to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Tamanna Parveen Shefa-

1. Quit smoking and drinking habits
2. Try to lose excess weight and exercise regularly
3. Breastfeeding babies reduces the risk of breast cancer
4. Try to limit postmenopausal hormone therapy