Early Symptoms of Breast Cancer ...

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in the breast tissue.
Cancer can begin to grow in the milk glands, milk ducts, fatty tissue and connective tissue in the breast.


Cause
The cause is unknown, but there are some risk factors that cause a woman to be more likely to suffer from breast cancer.

Risk Factors
Some of the factors that influence risk are:

1. Age. About 60% of breast cancers occur in over 60 years of age. The greatest risk found in women aged over 75 years.
2. Ever had breast cancer. After the affected breast is removed, then the risk of breast cancer in a healthy increase of 0.5-1% / year.
3. Family history of breast cancer. Women who are mothers, sisters or children suffering from cancer, had a 3 times greater risk for breast cancer.
4. Genetic and hormonal factors. 
5. Ever suffered from non-cancerous breast disease.
6. Menarche (first menstruation) before age 12, menopause after age 55 years, first pregnancy after age 30 years or had never been pregnant.
7. The use of birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy.
8. Obesity after menopause.
9. The use of alcohol.
10. The use of alcohol more than 1-2 cups / day can increase the risk of breast cancer.
11. Chemicals.                                                                                                                                          Some studies have mentioned the exposure of chemicals that resemble estrogen (which is contained in pesticides and other industrial products) may increase the risk of breast cancer.
12. DES (diethylstilbestrol).                                                                                                                 Women who took DES to prevent miscarriage have a higher risk of breast cancer.
13. irradiation.

Symptoms and Signs
Early symptoms include a lump that is usually perceived differently than the surrounding breast tissue, painless and usually have an irregular edge.

In the early stages, when driven by a finger, a lump can be moved easily under the skin.
In later stages, the lump usually adheres to the chest wall or the surrounding skin. In advanced cancer, can form a swollen lump or breast skin ulcers.
Sometimes the skin over the lump shrank and looked like an orange peel.

Other symptoms that may be found is a lump or mass in the armpit, change size or shape of the breast, an abnormal discharge from the nipple
(usually bloody or yellow to green, may also be pus), a change in color or texture of the skin on the breast, nipple and areola (dark brown colored area around the nipple),
breast looks red, the skin around the nipple scaly, nipples are interested in or feel itching, breast tenderness or swelling of one breast.
At an advanced stage may develop bone pain, weight loss, swelling of arms or ulcerated skin.

Pencegahan

Banyak faktor risiko yang tidak dapat dikendalikan. Beberapa ahli diet dan ahli kanker percaya bahwa perubahan diet dan gaya hidup secara umum bisa mengurangi angka kejadian kanker.

Diusahakan untuk melakukan diagnosis dini karena kanker payudara lebih mudah diobati dan bisa disembuhan jika masih pada stadium dini.

Sadari, pemeriksan payudara secara klinis dan mammografi sebagai prosedur penyaringan merupakan 3 alat untuk mendeteksi kanker secara dini.

Penatalaksanaan

Biasanya pengobatan dimulai setelah dilakukan penilaian secara menyeluruh terhadap kondisi penderita, yaitu sekitar 1 minggu atau lebih setelah biopsi.

Pengobatannya terdiri dari pembedahan, terapi penyinaran, kemoterapi dan obat penghambat hormon.

Terapi penyinaran digunakan untuk membunuh sel-sel kanker di tempat pengangkatan tumor dan daerah sekitarnya, termasuk kelenjar getah bening.

Kemoterapi (kombinasi obat-obatan untuk membunuh sel-sel yang berkembangbiak dengan cepat atau menekan perkembangbiakannya) dan obat-obat penghambat hormon (obat yang mempengaruhi kerja hormon yang menyokong pertumbuhan sel kanker) digunakan untuk menekan pertumbuhan sel kanker di seluruh tubuh.