Author Archive for Roselyn Capen

Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Cancer

Published
by
Roselyn Capen
on February 19, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Roselyn Capen

Discovering a lump in your breasts is one of the first symptoms of breast cancer. In most cases, such lumps are just benign, meaning, they’re not going to develop into malignant cancerous tumors. The first symptom can even be a change in the shape or size of the breast or the nipple, or an oozing blood stained discharge from a nipple, or a rash, or even something as seemingly trivial as an armpit welling. The occurance of any of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have developed a breast cancer, but taking risks in such matters is not advisable; get an examination done as soon as possible.

Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be lump, it can be a change in the nipple, the shape of the breast or nipple, getting some sort of oozing out of the nipple that is blood stained a rash that doesn’t go away or even a swelling in your armpit. Getting any of this doesn’t mean you have breast cancer but it is definitely something you should not wait to get checked out by your doctor as soon as possible.

Another helpful piece of information is that some types of cancers, like the Inflammatory breast cancer and Pagent’s disease show classic symptoms of their own type. Very red and hard breasts which keep getting sore show along with the regular breast cancer symptoms are a classic case of the Inflammatory breast cancer, whereas very itchy, red, scaly rashes, easily confused for eczema, on the breasts along with other breast cancer symptoms are Pagent’s disease. Always get the doctor to clarify your doubts.

A cyst is just a sac filled with harmless fluids. Sometimes, cysts are all there is to the lumps. These cysts can be easily and very quickly removing by inserting a needle into them and taking out all the fluid accumulated inside the cyst. If, in such a case, no fluid comes out, the needle can still be used to extract a small tissue sample from the breast, to be tested for cancer. This procedure is called a biopsy.

Removing such lumps can make some women feel a lot more comfortable and better, even if the lumps were benign and not a danger to them at all. All it requires is for you to make a decision today itself. If your will is undermined due to outward pressures on having benign lumps remove, always go for a second opinion without inhibitions. If you do not want the benign lump removed, forget about it, and stop worrying because of it, because it will never turn into a cancerous cell or be noticed by people.

All in all, cancer is not a laughing matter. Make sure you know about the causes and symptoms for breast cancer. If you start showing symptoms yourself, please do not delay contacting your doctor. Breast cancer for you implies your daughter’s risk of developing it goes up. Brushing that off with a shrug is not an option. Your doctor will tend to the rest.

About the Author:
Do you know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer? Get all the details about the breast cancer chemotherapy treatment and alternative options.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symptoms

Published
by
Roselyn Capen
on February 18, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Roselyn Capen

Of all the types of breast cancer, the one claiming more lives than not is Inflammatory breast cancer. IBC is a very aggressive cancer, and it gets its name from the symptoms women diagnosed with it show. This can occur in women of any age, and is fortunately, a rare type of cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer can also develop in men, though the chances are extremely thin.

IBC gives rise to cancer cells that attack the lymph vessels in the breast. It blocks the vessels, which gives rise to extreme swelling and reddish appearance of the breasts. Research says occurrence of IBC can differ with ethnicity, African American women being more prone, and that too, at a younger age, than White women. Also, it can occur in very young women of any other age, too. This is sad because other forms of breast cancer mostly develop in middle-aged women, while disabling young women to enjoy their lives.

Inflammatory breast cancer can start showing symptoms early on, and become very advanced within a matter or few days. This can be very sad, especially when women delay seeking medical advice regarding the symptoms, as the cancer can advance very rapidly, and it can be very late already, when they seek medical help. However, the symptoms for IBC are so alarming that women almost immediately seek advice, and this is one reason for relatively earlier diagnosis of Inflammatory breast cancer, in most cases.

Mammography and ultrasounds are not the best diagnosis techniques for Inflammatory breast cancer, since it is not usually accompanied with the formation of a lump. This characteristic makes the cancer undetectable. However, if other symptoms prevail, a biopsy can certainly determine if cancer growth is present.

Typical symptoms for Inflammatory breast cancer are extreme reddish to purple-ish, bruised appearance of the breasts, tenderness and immense swelling, which accounts for its inflamed appearance. The skin around the breasts may be rough and uneven, the nipples may get inverted, there might be persistent itching and heaviness accompanied with burning aching sensations. Usual symptoms like change in color and texture of areola and breasts are present, too. You might also have swellings under your arm and above and below your collarbone, which you should never ignore.

The most common misdiagnosis of Inflammatory breast cancer is mastitis. Mastitis is just a breast infection that shows the same symptoms like redness and swelling, as IBC. After a week or two of treatment for mastitis, your symptoms should start disappearing; otherwise, it’s not mastitis. Lymph vessels can get blocked because of other reasons than cancer, too, such as operations on the chest. This is not any type of cancer. The best way of making sure is getting a biopsy done.

The mortality rate for IBC used to be 100% some decades back. Now, due to great advancement in technology, it has dropped down to 30% to 50%. Systemic therapy is a great treatment option with both chemotherapy and hormone therapy tried. This is usually followed by a surgery - neoadjuvant therapy - which should ideally be followed by mastectomy. Radiation therapy following the above combination of treatments reduces the chances of a redevelopment of cancer greatly.

Yes, there is still a high mortality rate for Inflammatory breast cancer, but do not let that bring you down. You should keep in mind technology has bettered, and is still improving, and that there are people who love you. You will live as normally as you want to.

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Find out more about inflammatory breast cancer symptoms. Find here the right treatment for breast cancer