Saturday, 15 December 2012

Surviving Breast Cancer: True Inspirational Stories

By Esperanza Galloway


Most patients once diagnosed with breast cancer lose hope. Listening to true inspirational stories from people who have survived it is motivational. Referred to as breast carcinoma in medical circles, the cancer is responsible for thousands of deaths and affects one in every eight women and is second to lung cancer in fatality. It is a dreaded disease.

It is a malignant tumor which arises from the cells of the breasts. The condition predominantly affects women but there have been reports on male cases. There are several types namely ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma which are common and mucinous carcinoma and medullary carcinoma which are rarer.

Several risk factors contribute to this tumor. Some of them include, exposure to chest radiation, obesity, using oral contraceptives, consumption of alcohol, family history - if a female family member was once diagnosed with the condition, you are at risk. A woman is also vulnerable if she is undergoing menopause past the age of fifty five years or a girl that has started menstruating at the age of twelve. There are many others.

The following signs and symptoms are indicators of this malignant tumor. These are nipple discharge, a change in size of your breasts, swellings in parts of the breasts and a lump. The later is the most common symptom. Make sure to visit a doctor as soon as you notice any of these signs and symptoms. It is easy to treat breast carcinoma if detected in its early stages.

Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and surgery ways in which breast cancer is treated. Surgery can be done in two ways. By removing the breast tissue affected or the whole breast depending on the spread. It is traumatizing for any woman to lose a breast. For this reason, all ladies are advised to perform a breast self exam. This helps detect the cancer in its early stages.

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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