Breast Cancer - High Risks Group, Precautions and Surgical Procedure

Disease of the breast are common these days and can be life threatening as well. Breast Cancer is the most common neoplasm affecting breast tissues as it occurs in one out of nine women in the United States. Even though mostly breast cancer patients are women, men may have a slim possibility of being diagnosed with this disease too.

Breast cancer is an Adencarcinoma (gland cancer) that struck the breast ducts. There is no specific factor that leads to breast cancer but a few risk factors have been identified. Females aged forty and above are more prone to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Those whose family member affected with breast cancer face higher possibility of getting breast cancer as it is a hereditary disease. Another high risks group of breast cancer is females who had their menstruation before the age of 13 as well as those who do not get menopause after the age of 50. In addition, married spouses and bachelorettes with nullipara (no births) are among those high risks group. For first time motherhood after thirty years old, they must be careful of any changes of the breasts as they are more exposed to getting breast cancer.

Monthly breast self-examinations are necessary for every female upon reaching puberty. This is to detect any formation of lump in the breast. Non-tender lump of ranging size are normally formed in the upper out quadrant of the breast, near the axillary area. However, symptoms cannot be seen visually on the outline of the breasts. Those exceed 40 years old are advised to do mammography on the breasts every year as periodic medical check-up. Instead of mammography, females below 40 years old are suggested to undergo ultrasound of the breasts every three years. This is due to the breasts are still dense which disallow the lump to be detected in the mammogram film. Should there is a detection of lump in the breast, a biopsy performed by aspiration or surgery is necessary to determine whether the lump is cancerous.

Patients diagnosed with breast cancer are usually advised to undergo mastectomy which is the breast excision, followed by chemotherapy. Removal of the lymph nodes and lymph vessels during mastectomy is a common procedure as carcinoma (a chemical substance produced by cancerous cells) spreads through the lymphatic system.

There are several types of surgical procedures on patients based on the condition, location ad size of the tumor. The simplest surgical procedure is lumpectomy. It involves the removal of the lump only. Next, there is total mastectomy involving the removal of the breast and nipple. Apart from that, the removal of breast, nipple and lymph nodes are done on the patient is known as modified radical mastectomy. Where as, the most complicated procedure, radical mastectomy involves the removal of the breasts, nipple, lymph nodes and underlying pectoral muscles.

Breast cancer patients are often reluctant to perform mastectomy surgery as it causes an alteration in the physical image on them. However, they should not worry as mammoplasty can be done along the mastectomy surgery to reconstruct the breast with prosthetic breast implants. Family members should give unlimited moral support to breast cancer patients as most of them suffer from placebo effects after the surgery.