Male Breast Cancer Risk Factors

There are several risk factors for male breast cancer. Keep in mind that if you have a risk factor for male breast cancer, it does not mean that you will absolutely develop male breast cancer. It only means that you have an increased chance of developing it.

Risk Factors for Male Breast Cancer

• Exposure to Radiation. Exposure to radiation such as previous radiation therapy for lymphoma is a risk factor for male breast cancer.
  
• Family History. Statistics show that at least 20% of men with male breast cancer had a close female relative with breast cancer. The mutated BRCA gene is responsible.
  
• Klinefelter’s Syndrome. This genetic disorder is also a risk factor for male breast cancer.
  
• Liver Disease. Having cirrhosis raises your level of estrogen within the body, which may be responsible for the development of male breast cancer.
  
• Age. Most cases of male breast cancer occur between the ages of 60 and 70.

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7 Warning Signs of Esophageal Cancer

Did you know that esophageal cancer is on the rise, on it's way to becoming the fastest growing type of cancer? Esophageal cancer affects the esophagus, the long, hollow tube that connects our mouth to our stomachs. Knowing and recognizing the symptoms of esophageal cancer can aid in early detection. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the more choices a patient has in treating the disease. Check out the 7 Warning Signs of Esophageal Cancer...

Top 7 Esophageal Cancer Symptoms :

There are many signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer. If you experience any of the symptoms of esophageal cancer, consult your doctor. Unfortunately, the disease is often diagnosed when the disease has advanced, limiting treatment options.

1. Unintentional Weight Loss

If you aren't trying to lose weight and have noticed you have been or are losing weight, you should consult your doctor. Unintentional weightloss can mean many things, but it is better to have it checked out.

2. Pain and/or Difficulty Swallowing

Pain or difficulty in swallowing is one of the most common symptoms of esophageal cancer. The throat feels irritated or with pressure. This symptom is not associated with flu or flu related illnesses. The pain or difficulty swallowing related with esophageal cancer does not go away.

3. Hoarseness

If your voice is hoarse, or you feel like you have to often clear your throat, you should get checked out by a doctor. This symptom of esophageal cancer is also that of many other illnesses, so a consult is necessary.

4. Persistant Cough

Having a cough that does not go away is a symptom of esophageal cancer.

5. Heartburn

Having heartburn often is also a symptom of esophageal cancer. Heartburn is defined as pain or burning sensation behind the breast bone. Heart burn that occurs often or increasingly warrants a consult to the doctor.

6. Feeling Like Food is Stuck in Throat or Chest

In certain cases of esophageal cancer, the esophagus narrows, thus reducing the amount of space foods have to travel down to the stomach. The sensation of food being stuck in the throat or chest is that of esophageal cancer.

7. Hiccups with Pain or Difficulty Swallowing

If you often have the hiccups and also have pain or difficulty swallowing, you need to see a doctor. These two condition when experienced together are a symptom of esophageal cancer.

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Cervical Cancer Basics

Do you know the basics of cervical cancer? From the causes, symptoms, and treatment to HPV, learn more about cervical cancer and why every woman need to be aware.

What Is Cervical Cancer
What is cervical cancer? Explore the basics of cervical cancer, including the causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment of the disease.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor After Being Diagnosed with Cervical Cancer
After being diagnosed with cervical cancer, tons of questions run through a woman's mind. There are eight essential questions a woman should ask her doctor when being diagnosed. Write them down, take them to your appointment, and be sure you leave your doctor's office with a full understanding of the answers your doctor gives you.

Diagnosing Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is diagnosed through various medical tests. Learn how cervical cancer is diagnosed and how it is staged.

January is National Cervical Health Awareness Month
January has been designated as National Cervical Health Awareness Month. Learn more about cervical health, and what you can do to keep your cervix healthy.

Cervical Cancer Survival Rates
A look into cervical cancer 5 year survival rates, organized by stage of cervical cancer.

What is a Cervix?
What is a cervix and why do women need one? Learn more about the cervix and it's function in women.

Cervical Dysplasia
Learn more about cervical dysplasia, a condition the can lead to cervical cancer if not treated.

What is Cancer?
Learning how cancer develops and spreads provides a greater understanding to the nature of your disease.

Cervical Cancer - What is Cervical Cancer?
A look into what cervical cancer is and just how seriously it can affect women.

Cervical Cancer Symptoms
Although cervical cancer is a relatively silent disease, there are a few signs and symptoms to watch out for. Symptoms of cervical cancer do not usually appear until the disease has advanced.

Cervical Cancer Risk Factors - Causes and Risk for Cervical Cancer
The risk factors for cervical cancer are explained and explored. Cervical cancer is one of the more detectable cancers that affect women. There are many cervical cancer risk factors and recognizing them helps to prevent the disease.

Preventing Cervical Cancer - How to Reduce Your Cervical Cancer Risk
Learn how to prevent cervical cancer. These easy lifestyle changes can greatly reduce your risk factor for developing cervical cancer.

Cervical Cancer Stages
Stages of cervical cancer are explored and explained. Stages of cervical cancer can greatly affect prognosis and treatment.

Cervical Cancer Treatment Overview
Learn how cervical cancer is treated. There are several treatment options available for cerival cancer from hysterectomy to chemotherapy, depending on the stage.

8 Cervical Cancer Myths
Look into eight of the most common cervical cancer myths. Separate cervical cancer facts from fiction.

Total Hysterectomy
This FAQ addresses what a total hysterectomy is. A total hysterectomy is done as treatment for many gynecological cancers.

Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP)
Learn more about the Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP), procedure done to treat cervical dysplasia or to diagnose cervical cancer. A LEEP is a common procedure.

Cryosurgery
Learn more about cryosurgery, a method of "freezing" abmonal cervical cells in order to treat cervical dysplasia.

Radical Hysterectomy
Explore what a radical hysterectomy is and why is it performed in this FAQ about the radical hysterectomy.

Cone Biopsy - What is a Cone Biopsy?
A cone biopsy is common medical procedure in matters of cervical health. Learn what a cone biopsy is and why it is used to prevent cervical cancer.

Radiation Therapy Overview
A look into radiation therapy, a method used to treat cancer. Learn what it is, how it works, the costs associated with the therapy, and how it is given.

Chemotherapy Basics
Chemotherapy is a form of treatment for many forms of cancers. It produces few, yet emotionally devastating side effects. Learn answers to questions concerning hair loss, nausea, and skin problems caused by chemotherapy and how to combat them.

Cervical Cancer Treatment Overview
Learn how cervical cancer is treated. There are several treatment options available for cerival cancer from hysterectomy to chemotherapy, depending on the stage.

What To Do When You Have Cervical Cancer Symptoms
Tips on what to do if you experience any of the symptoms of cervical cancer.

HPV: What Is Is HPV and How Do You Get It?
HPV is a known cause for cervical cancer and is now believed to cause other women's cancers like vulvar and vaginal. Learn what HPV is, how a person gets HPV, symptoms, and prevention of HPV.

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Treatment of Breast Cancer

Surgery. Most women with breast cancer will have surgery to remove cancerous tissue and for diagnostic purposes. Types of surgery used to treat breast cancer include:

• lumpectomy
  
• quadrantectomy
  
• mastectomy

Chemotherapy. The organs in our body are made up of cells. Cells divide and multiply as the body needs them. When these cells continue multiplying when the body doesn't need them, the result is a mass or growth, also called a tumor. Chemotherapy drugs work by eliminating these rapidly multiplying renegade cells. There are other healthy cells in the body that multiply just as quickly, like hair follicle cells. Unfortunately, many chemotherapy drugs may not be able to discern the two, attacking healthy cells and causing side effects like hair loss.

In breast cancer, chemotherapy is used to treat the cancer and also to prevent it from returning once it has been treated. Women who have been diagnosed with stages II through IV breast cancer are most commonly given chemotherapy, however some women diagnosed with stage I breast cancer may benefit from chemotherapy treatment.

• Chemotherapy Side Effects
  
• Hair Loss and Chemotherapy: Can It Be Prevented?
  
• Combating Fatigue During Chemotherapy

Radiation Therapy. Radiation therapy uses certain types high energy beams of radiation to shrink tumors or eliminate cancer cells. Radiation therapy works by damaging a cancer cell's DNA, making it unable to multiply. Although radiation therapy can damage nearby healthy cells, cancer cells are highly sensitive to radiation and typically die when treated. Healthy cells that are damaged during radiation are resilient and are often able to fully recover.

There are two primary types of radiation therapy: external beam radiation therapy and internal beam radiation, also called brachytherapy. In breast cancer, external beam radiation is much more common than internal beam radiation.

• How Radiation is Used to Treat Breast Cancer
  
• Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
  
• How to Manage Skin Side Effects Caused by Radiation Therapy

Targeted Therapy. This type of therapy is less harmful to healthy cells than chemotherapy and targets properties of cancer cells that allow for rapid uncontrolled cell growth. This type of therapy is given in tablet form or in a chemotherapy infusion. Targeted therapy often accompanies chemotherapy in the breast cancer treatment plan. Drugs used for targeted therapy include:

• Herceptin
  
• Tykerb
  
• Avastin

Hormonal Therapy. In many cases of breast cancer, the cancer growth is fueled by the hormone estrogen that is produced by the ovaries. Hormonal therapy, also referred as anti-estrogen therapy, deprives estrogen of its ability to stimulate growth in breast cancer cells. Hormonal therapy is given to treat breast cancer and prevent recurrence.

The ovaries are the primary site of estrogen production, so hormonal treatment can include an oopherectomy, the surgical removal of the ovaries. Halting the ovary's production of estrogen through drugs may also be an option. Removal of the the ovaries and therapy to block estrogen production are recommended for pre-menopausal women with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer or for women who have advanced breast cancer.

Aromatase inhibitors are another form of hormonal therapy used in post-menopausal women who have had estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer. It is given as a follow-up therapy to prevent recurrence.

Women's bodies produce an enzyme called aromatase that allows androgens to convert to a type of estrogen. Aromatase inhibitors suppress the this enzyme, lowering the levels of estrogen in the body. Types of aromatase inhibitor drugs include:

• Arimidex
  
• Aromasin
  
• Femara

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM) are another form of hormonal treatment used in women with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. SERMs work by preventing natural estrogen from sending signals to the estrogen receptor. In simplified terms, SERMs rush to the estrogen receptor and take the place where natural estrogen would like to occupy. Some like to compare it to musical chairs or two jigsaw puzzle pieces. There are three SERMs that are currently prescribed:

• Evista
  
• Fareston
  
• Tamoxifen

Breast Cancer Prevention

Unfortunately, there are no true methods of preventing breast cancer, but by avoiding breast cancer risk factors, you can decrease your risk of developing it. Because simply being a woman is a risk for developing breast cancer, women must be proactive in taking care of their breasts by:

• doing self breast exams at home, beginning in their 20s
  
• having yearly clinical breast exam by a nurse or doctor in their 20s and 30s
  
• having a annual mammogram, beginning at age 40 (women at a higher risk may begin having mammograms earlier at the recommendation of their doctor)

Women who are classified as being at very high risk for breast cancer may choose more drastic, yet appropriate, means of reducing their risk. Prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) and/or prophylactic mastectomy may be a prevention method for women in this risk category. Although these methods can certainly reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, it is by no means a guarantee.

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Symptoms of Breast Cancer

A worrisome breast lump is usually what provokes a woman to see a doctor, but there are several other symptoms that can be caused by breast cancer. Breast cancer symptoms can include:

• a breast that feels warm to the touch
  
• nipple that becomes inverted that was not inverted before
  
• skin on or around breast is dimpled or has an appearance similar to an orange peel
  
• skin on breast that is red or blotchy
  
• sudden increase in breast size that is not related to menstrual cycle
  
• nipple discharge (clear or bloody)
  
• nipple pain or scaly nipples
  
• persistent breast pain or tenderness that is unrelated to menstrual cycle
  
• swelling of the lymph nodes of the armpit
  
• a breast lump, swelling, or mass

These are symptoms of breast cancer that can be seen or touched, but there are instances in early breast cancer where there are no symptoms that can be detected by physical examination. Imaging tests like mammograms and MRI can detect breast abnormalities that cannot be seen by the eye or by the touch.

• What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer Symptoms
  
• Signs and Symptoms of Inflammatory Breast Cancer
  
• Harmful and Harmless Breast Lumps - Know the Difference

Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Regular breast cancer screening can reveal breast abnormalities that require additional testing. Some women detect breast abnormalities through breast-self exams at home or through a clinical breast exam by their doctor. Most breast abnormalities are found through mammography. Only 10% of symptoms are initially found through physical exam. The remaining 90% are detected through a mammogram, proving just how vital it is to have a regular mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends that women begin having an annual mammogram beginning at age 40. Women who are at higher risk of developing breast cancer may be recommended to begin screening earlier.

• Having a Mammogram
  
• Video: What to Expect During a Mammogram
  
• Understanding Your Mammogram Report

If you are experiencing breast cancer symptoms or a screening mammogram reveals an abnormality, then further testing is done to determine if breast cancer is present and what stage the disease is in. Further testing methods used to diagnose breast cancer include:

• diagnostic mammogram
  
• breast MRI
  
• breast ultrasound
  
• ductogram
  
• ductal lavage

When imaging tests reveal an abnormality, a breast biopsy may then be done. A biopsy involves the doctor removing a small amount of breast tissue that is then studied under a microscope.

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Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when a malignant tumor forms from cells within the breast. It occurs most frequently in women, however, men can develop breast cancer, although much less frequently. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in every 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, making it the most common cancer among women, aside from skin cancer.

Risk Factors and Causes of Breast Cancer

Research is ongoing to identify the exact causes of breast cancer. Researchers have, however, identified several breast cancer risk factors. A risk factor is something that increases the chance that a person will develop a disease. It is not a guarantee and does not predict a future diagnosis. Risk factors for breast cancer include:
Age: As we grow older, our risk of developing breast cancer increases. It is estimated that 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are 50 or older. This doesn't mean that younger women aren't at risk. Young women are diagnosed with breast cancer, just much less frequently.

Family and Personal History of Breast Cancer. Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer doubles your risk of the disease. While family history can play a role in breast cancer development, women shouldn't subscribe to the popular belief that women without a family history of breast cancer aren't at risk. The American Cancer Society estimates that 70 to 80% of women with breast cancer do not have a family history that includes breast cancer.

Women who have previously been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer again.

Race. Of all women, Caucasian women are diagnosed more frequently than women of other races. Though Caucasian women are the most at risk, it is African American women who die of the disease the most. Asian, Native American, and Hispanic women have less of a risk.

Alcohol Consumption. Women who drink alcohol increase their breast cancer risk and the risk is heightened with the amount of alcohol consumed. Women who drink 2-5 drinks a day increase their risk by 1 1/2 when compared to women who do not drink alcohol. One drink a day only slightly elevates a woman's risk.

• Alcohol and Your Breast Cancer Risk: Lifestyle Factors You Can Change

Family Planning Choices. Women who choose not to have children or have them after age 30 somewhat increase their risk of breast cancer.

• How Pregnancy Decreases Risk of Breast Cancer

Genetics Genetics may play a role in up to 10% of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Hereditary breast cancer occurs when a mutated gene has been passed down from a parent. The most common genetic mutation is that of the BRCA gene pair, referred to as "BRCA1" and "BRCA2". These genes are responsible for regulating cell growth and repairing damaged DNA, but do not properly function if mutated. Those who are found through genetic testing to be carriers of mutated BRCA genes are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Other gene types have been associated to breast cancer, but not as prevalently as the BRCA genes.

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