Breast Cancer --- What Are Risk Factors? and How Do you Catch it Early?

Breast Cancer is defined in as "A malignant (cancer) tumor that starts from cells of the breast. It is found mostly in women". So how do I make sure I don't become one of the 2.8 million who die from Breast Cancer every year? I don't want to be another statistic.


What are the risk factors of breast cancer? Well according to our textbook on page 308, it says these are the possible factors.

• Mother who had breast cancer before age 60.
• Onset of menarche before age 14.
• First child born over after age 30.
• No biological children.
• Menopause after age 55.
• Benign breast disease.
• Estrogen replacement therapy after age 55.
• Consuming more than 3 ounces of alcohol a day.
• Inheritance of BRCA1, BRCA2, and other susceptibility genes.
• Exposure to xenoestrogens.

So what is BRCA1 and BRCA2? According to this website, "The most common cause of hereditary breast cancer is an inherited mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. In normal cells, these genes help prevent cancer by making proteins that help keep the cells from growing abnormally. If you have inherited a mutated copy of either gene from a parent, you have a high risk of developing breast cancer during your lifetime. The risk may be as high as 80% for members of some families with BRCA mutations. These cancers tend to occur in younger women and more often affect both breasts than cancers in women who are not born with one of these gene mutations. Women with these inherited mutations also have an increased risk for developing other cancers, particularly ovarian cancer.

To me, it seems like all women are susceptible to breast cancer. There are so many different risk factors and any one women could get it. I also believe that most young women think breast cancer only happens to you in your older years. That is NOT the case. Every time I visit my Gynecologist, my Doctor examines my breasts to make sure that there is nothing abnormal about them. I remember that I was 17 years old when my Doctor first examined my breasts. I however, never think about examining my breasts throughout the year and that can be a matter of life or death.

How do I examine my breasts? and How do I know what to look for?
I found a great website called Breast Self Exam. They give you step by step instructions and if you turn your speakers on, you will be able to listen to the instructions. I also found out that you should do a self exam once a month! I only have it done once a year!
Here is how you feel your breasts:
There are three patterns that can be used to check your breast area.
Choose the one pattern that is the most comfortable and convenient for you.

Clock Pattern

Circle Pattern

Grid Pattern

This is what you should look and feel for:




Also, our textbook on page 309 gives a Wellness Guide for Self Breast Exam. When you are in your teens, you should get to know your breasts. You should know what your breasts feel like and what they look like. Then, you have a way to determine if something is out of the ordinary. 
So when should I contact a Doctor? In the textbook, it says to contact a health professional if you:

• Feel a hard lump or knot in or near the breast or underarm.
• Dimpling, puckering, or ridges of the skin on the breast.
• A nipple that is pushed inward rather than sticking out.
• Redness, warmth, swelling, or pain.
• Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple.
• Nipple discharge other then breast milk.
• Change in color, shape, size, or texture of a breast. 

It's even more important to make sure you do not use a BSE as a replacement over having a mammogram done. In the end, a mammogram can save your life. If you do all these things like a BSE and having a mammogram done, your success rate for treatment of a tumor can increase.

I truly believe that young women should be educated on breast cancer and the risk factors as well. All women should learn how to do a Self Breast Exam and make sure they get a mammogram once a year. In the end, examining yourself or being screened, can be a difference between life or death.

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Participation in this Module:
I feel I participated as much as possible in this module. I was kind of upset to say that least. I put a lot of time into my discussion post and only one person participated with me. I want to educate my fellow classmates and start a conversation but I feel that was tough to do during this module. I will continue to work hard and put a lot of thought into my next discussion question which happens to be the last Module of this course.
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Three New Definitions I Learned During this Module:

1. Xenoestrogens- Environmental chemicals that mimic the effects of natural estrogen; may cause cancer.
2. Cancer Susceptibility Gene- Gene responsible for familial breast cancer and genes that cause susceptibility to colon cancer; increases the risk of a person developing cancer in his or her lifetime.
3.  Ischemia- An insufficient supply of blood to the heart.