Tuesday 18 December 2012

Surviving Breast Cancer: True Inspirational Stories

By Esperanza Galloway


Breast cancer patients require motivation from true inspirational stories told by survivors to help them through the tough times. Also referred to as breast carcinoma, this type of cancer affects one woman in every eight. It is second after lung cancer in fatality and is responsible for thousands of deaths every year.

This condition predominantly affects women but isolated cases of male occurrences have been reported. It's a malignant tumor that affects the breast tissue. Invasive ductal carcinoma, ductal carcinoma in situ are the common types whereas cases of medullary and mucinous carcinoma are very rare.

A number of risk factors have been confirmed to cause this tumor. They include exposure to chest radiation, use of oral contraceptives, being overweight, consumption of alcohol, family history - incidences previously reported in your family imply that there is risk of recurrence. Vulnerability increases if a woman is undergoing menopause while past the age of fifty five or a girl has started menstruating at about the tender age of twelve years.

The most common sign is a lump on the affected breast. Other signs and symptoms are nipple pain, swelling of part of the breast, nipple discharge and change in the size of the breast. Should you notice these signs, consult a doctor for screening. The tumor in its early stages can be treated.

Hormone therapy, radiation therapy, surgery and chemotherapy are the treatment methods used for breast carcinoma. The affected tissue or the whole breast is surgically removed. It's traumatizing for a woman to lose her breast. To avoid this, ladies are advised to regularly perform a breast self exam.

Radiotherapy reduces cases of recurrence by between sixty six and fifty five percent. Here, cancerous cells are killed by exposing them to radiation. Though both normal and cancerous cells are affected by the exposure, normal cells are able to repair themselves.

Chemotherapy is used in preventing the cancerous cells from spreading to other parts of the body. It is administered through the circulatory system. Chemotherapy hinders rapid multiplication of the cells. Alternatively, you might also consider hormone therapy.

Find forums online or around you where people affected by breast carcinoma share true inspirational stories. Don't lose hope. Motivate yourself. Your doctor may help you on this.




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