The Answer to Breast Cancer - Prevent With Healthy Living

Generally speaking, breast cancer can be explained as an abnormal growth or a mass of cells, also known as a tumor, anywhere within the breast or immediate surrounding area. Breast Cancer is the most common form of cancer in women and accounts for one-third of all malignancies. One of eight women now living in the modern society will get this disease

In 2005 502,000 people died worldwide as a result of this cancer. Worldwide, more people are diagnosed with breast cancer than any other cancer except for lung cancer and it is the fifth most common cancer overall. While these statistics are alarming, there are ways to keep yourself as safe as possible from this terrible disease.

A lump in the breast is often the first sign of this disease. The lump generally feels different from the surrounding breast tissue. You should immediately see your physician if you discover a lump. Your physician will follow up with appropriate tests and examinations, such as a mammogram, to determine the nature of the lump.

Other symptoms might include changes in the size or shape of the breast, a dimpling of the skin on the breast, an inverted nipple, or nipple discharge. Breast pain should also be checked by a doctor because even though it doesn't usually mean breast cancer, it might be symptomatic of another problem.

Discovering these symptoms should not be cause for immediate alarm. Most of the time, the cause of the symptoms is not cancer. But the risk of cancer is very real, the consequences of cancer are severe, and the disease is progressive, so one should never delay scheduling an appointment with their health care professional.

As with most cancers, the exact cause of breast cancer has not been pinpointed. However, there are many risk factors applied to many women. There are many arguments that breast cancer is hereditary, so if there is a history of the cancer in a woman’s family, she should see a doctor regularly for preventative measures. While heredity may play a role, life choices do as well. For instance, women who smoke cigarettes and consume alcohol regularly are at a higher risk for breast cancer than those who do not. Additionally, obese women that do not engage in regular physical activity are at an elevated risk for breast cancer.

It has been found, however, that altering the levels of hormones in the body can lead to different forms of cancer, breast cancer included. Many women take drugs and supplements that have estrogen as a main ingredient. These medications are used to increase sexual drive, assist in lactation, or deal with menopause. There are studies currently underway to help determine the influence of increased levels of estrogen on the development of breast cancer.

Despite the exact causes of breast cancer being unknown, there are many resources explaining and suggesting how a woman might prevent it.

According to recent research conducted by the American Cancer Society, on an average an eighth of all females are bound to suffer from breast cancer.