What Is Breast Cancer
Introduction: What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer will strike one in every eight American women. This makes it the most common cancer in woman. Approximately 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Of that number, 40,000 will die from breast cancer each year. (Journal of Environmental Health 2003)
Breast cancer is just one type of cancer. Cancerous cells are cells that grow without the normal system of controls placed upon them. Breast cancer develops from the mammary ducts 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time the cancer develops from the lobules of the breasts. While breast cancer may occur in men, this paper will primarily focus on breast cancer in women. Breast cancer is 100 times more likely to affect women as it is men. There are two forms of breast cancer, invasive cancer and carcinoma in situ. (Dimensions of Human Sexuality, Shriver, S. 2002)
Invasive cancer is the more serious form of breast cancer. Invasive cancer develops when some abnormal cells from the interior of the lobules or ducts rupture out into the breast tissue surrounding the lobules. Once these cells are free, they may travel into the lymphatic and vascular system where they have access to virtually all other areas of the body. These cells are especially fond of migrating to the liver, bones, and lungs. (Dimensions of Human Sexuality, Shriver, S. 2002)
In contrast, carcinoma in situ are a cluster of abnormal breast tissue cells that develop inside of the lobules of the breast. These do not travel to other areas. In situ translates to mean in place'. The cancer cells associated with Carcinoma in situ are not considered completely cancerous. They don't possess the capability to travel outside the breast tissues. However, they are considered a precancerous condition. They may eventually develop into an invasive form of cancer or just raise the risk of developing invasive cancer. (Susan G. Komen Breast...
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