breast cancer Essay -- essays research papers

Breast Cancer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. The American cancer society estimates that in 2002 about 192,200 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the U.S. alone. Breast cancer also occurs in men. An estimated 1,500 cases will be diagnosed among men. In 2002, there will be about 40,600 deaths from breast cancer in the United States.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is breast cancer? Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that has developed from cells of the breast. To make it easier I’ll put it this way. When the body needs new cells they will divide or reproduce. Sometimes the cells grow and divide out of control, which creates a mass of tissue called a tumor. Now if the cells that are growing out of control are abnormal and don’t function like the body’s normal cells the tumor is then called malignant or cancerous. Cells from the malignant tumors can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. They may also travel through your blood stream or lymph system to other parts of your body. If the cells are normal cells the tumor is called benign or non cancerous. This Disease occurs mostly in women, but dose occur rarely in men. There are many stages of breast cancer. Stage 0 breast cancer is when the disease is localized to the breast and lymph nodes. Stage 1 is when the cancer is smaller than 1 inch across and hasn’t spread. Stage II is one of the following: the tumor is less than one inch but has spread to the underarm lymph nodes or the tumor is between 1-2 inches without spreading. Advanced breast cancer results after cancer cells spreads to the lymph nodes and to other parts of the body. Stage III breast cancer is also called locally advanced breast cancer. The tumor is now larger than 2 inches and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm, or a tumor that is any size with cancerous lymph nodes that attach to each other or surrounding tissue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stage IIIB breast cancer is a tumor of any size that has spread to the Skin, Chest wall or internal mammary lymph nodes, which are located beneath the breast and inside the chest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stage IV breast cancer is defined as a tumor that has spread to places far away from the breast, such as bones, lungs or lymph nodes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are... ... no way to prevent breast cancer but there are a ton of things you can do to help reduce your risks of getting it. You should always eat foods high in fiber. Fiber helps reduce the amount of circulating estrogen in your body. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, also include soy in your diet. Studies say that soy may inhibit the development and growth of cancer cells. Limit the fat in your diet, limit alcohol, and stay physically active. The Nurses Health Study found that women who exercise for at least 1 hour a day reduce their breast cancer risk by 18 %. You should also maintain a healthy weight and avoid exposure to pesticides. Because the molecular structure of some pesticides closely resembles that of estrogen. This means that they might attach to receptor sights in you body. It is known that women with high levels of pesticides in their breast tissue have a greater breast cancer risk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although there are many different things that go along with breast cancer. This paper really helped me understand more about the subject and helped me know some of the signs that I need to look for and ways to help me reduce the risks of getting breast cancer.