Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Cancer Besides The Lump – Femina

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Indian women and accounts for 27 per cent of all cancers in women. About 1 in 28 women are likely to develop breast cancer during their lifetime.

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In urban areas, the incidence is one in 22 as compared to rural areas where one in 60 women develop breast cancer. The incidence begins to rise in the early thirties and peaks at the age of 50-64 years.

What Causes Breast Cancer

The exact cause of breast cancer is not known. However, several factors affect our risk of developing breast cancer. The chances of developing the disease depend on a combination of our genes and bodies, lifestyle, life choices and the environment. Being a woman and age are the two biggest risk factors.

Other Risk Factors

Early puberty, late menopause, family and personal history of breast cancer, ethnicity (a white woman is more likely to develop breast cancer than a black, Asian, Chinese or mixed-race woman) all play their parts. Ashkenazi Jews and Icelandic women have a higher risk of carrying inherited faults in breast cancer genes, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, which are known to increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

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Role Of Life Choices, Lifestyle And Environment

Factors that increase the risk of breast cancer are: Weight gain, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, hormone replacement therapy, the combined oral contraceptive pill, ionising radiation, radiotherapy, stress and possibly shift work.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding reduce the risk. Age and number of pregnancies affect the risk. The earlier the pregnancies and the more the number of pregnancies, the lesser is the risk of cancer.

Breastfeeding slightly reduces your risk of breast cancer and the longer you breastfeed, the more your risk of breast cancer is reduced.

Why Is Early Detection Of Breast Cancer Important?

According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early, and is in the localised stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 99 per cent. Early detection includes doing monthly breast self-exams and scheduling regular clinical breast exams and mammograms.

Symptoms And Signs of Breast Cancer

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Many breast cancer symptoms are not noticeable without a professional screening, but some symptoms can be caught early.

What Can I Do To Reduce My Risk Of Breast Cancer?

Unfortunately, there is nothing that you can do to change most of the above risk factors. Lifestyle modifications detailed above should be made.

But all women should be breast aware this means knowing what is normal for you so that you are aware as soon as something changes. Get into the habit of looking at and feeling your breasts with a breast self-examinationat least once a month. This will help you to notice any change. The sooner you notice a change and seek medical advice, the better, because if cancer is found early, treatment is more likely to be successful. Undergoing regular examinations by your doctor and getting a mammogram done will also help detect cancer early.

Also Read: An Expert Busts Myths On The Use Of Donor Breast Milk For Babies In Need

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Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Cancer Besides The Lump - Femina