Description and Definition of Breast Cancer - Assignment Example

This paper will throw light on breast cancer and its origin in men and how it affects the body's balance.

Description and definition of Breast Cancer
According to a study, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer second to only lung cancer, which tops the list as the most common type of cancer. This can also affect the males because of the identical tissues which the males have, the same are also found in women hence it becomes likely that a male can also develop breast cancer. If the statistics are to be believed then a male is 100 times less likely to get breast cancer than a woman. The most common symptom of breast cancer is usually a lump that appears on the breast, the lump feels very different when compared to the surrounding areas of the breast. “Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. The risk varies with age. At age twenty-five, a woman's risk is about 1 in 20,000. At age forty-five, it is 1 in about 100. At age eighty-five, it is more than 1 in 10.

About 80 percent of all breast cancers are found in women over the age of fifty.” (Breast Cancer) There isn’t much known regarding the cause of the disease, research is still on to find the same. In most cases, for Diagnosis A doctor performs Biopsy, this is a procedure under which tissues are removed from the patient's breast who is likely to be suffering from breast cancer and these tissues are studied under the microscope to decide whether or not the patient has Breast Cancer. After carefully studying the tissues, a conclusion is arrived at
There are different types of breast cancer in men, some of them are Ductal carcinoma in situ, Infiltrating (or invasive) ductal carcinoma, Lobular carcinoma in situ, etc.

The ILC type of Breast cancer is mainly caused by the lobular tissue present in the breast, this type of cancer is very rare in men because the lobular tissue is not present in abundance in men when compared with the women, hence very less men get affected by it. Infiltrating (or invasive) ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer in men. “This type of breast cancer breaks through the wall of the duct and invades the fatty tissue of the breast. At this point, it can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. IDC (alone or mixed with other types of invasive or in situ breast cancer) accounts for at least 8 out of 10 male breast cancers. Because the male breast is much smaller than the female breast, all male breast cancers start relatively close to the nipple, so spread to the nipple is more likely.” (What is Breast Cancer in Men?)

This disorder occurs when the tissues in a man’s breast or chest increase. The disorder changes the shape of a man’s breast making it a button-shaped or a disc-shaped breast. The symptom of this disorder is a lump on the breast and in that case, it becomes very important to get it checked by a doctor as soon as possible. This disorder can be caused by some medicines, especially the medicines consumed for high blood pressure, and medicines taken to cure ulcers. So it becomes very important to keep a check on the medicines taken for a disease and it is very important not to take a medicine without a prescription by a doctor.

Male Breast Cancer Treatment
The most widely used method of treatment is surgery also known as modified radical mastectomy. Under this treatment, most of the lymph nodes are removed and in addition to this, the lining over the chest muscle is also removed. Another very widely used method is Adjuvant Therapy, this therapy or treatment is given after surgery when the cancer cells can no longer be seen. Various therapies are given to a patient to make sure that all the cancer cells are killed in the body. Some of the most popular therapies include hormone therapy, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The neutrons, protons, and gamma rays are used in radiation therapy to kill cancer cells. Under chemotherapy, an affected patient is given drugs that kill the cancer cells and under hormone therapy, the hormones in the body of a patient are adjusted to stop the growth of cancer cells.

The method of Distant Metastases is used when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body. Under this condition, either hormone therapy or chemotherapy is used and in some cases both these methods are used. In this method of treatment, the testicles of a patient are removed to make sure that less hormone production takes place in the body. “Hormone therapies may be used in sequence (one after the other). Standard chemotherapy regimens may be used if hormone therapy does not work. Men usually respond to therapy in the same way as women who have breast cancer.” (Treatment Options for Male Breast Cancer) The paper shed light on how cancer develops and its different types and how it can be treated. Read More