Basic Information about Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is causing terrible suffering among people everywhere, but this disease is a mystery to some. In this article basic information about breast cancer and how it develops will be presented.

First you have to understand how the breasts are actually made if you want to understand breast cancer. Breasts consist of lobes which contain miniature lobes call lobules. Lobules contain glands that produce milk.

Milk comes out of the nipples after passing through ducts leading from glands within the lobules. Besides these lobes and lobules, breasts are composed mainly of fat.

What causes cancer cells to form within the breast? As in other forms of cancer, cancer cells are created when normal cells go berserk by growing and dividing improperly. This can happen when new cells are created that the body does not find necessary to have. There are also old cells with extended lives that the body expected to die but didn't. Tumors form when these extra cells separate and multiply causing a tumor to grow. There are benign tumors and malignant tumors.  pose a deadly risk to the body and although they can be removed by surgery, they often grow back. They can spread to other parts of the body as well. The spreading throughout the body can be Benign tumors usually are not dangerous because they are not cancerous. They usually don't spread within the body, so they're easy to contain. On the other hand, malignant tumors are cancer. They can be fatal to your health.

The lymph nodes of the breast is the place where breast cancer usually begins. Cancer of the breast can spread all over the body to the bones, liver, lungs and brain. Even though the cancer may wind up in the brain, it's still breast cancer. This disease usually strikes women who are over 40 years of age. Women who are younger and even men can develop breast cancer. For women over 40 years of age, they need to be especially diligent in protecting themselves against this disease.

Women over 40 years of age should have a mammogram once a year because finding a cancer early is the key to survival. Women should also receive a yearly breast exam by their doctors. You should perform a monthly breast examination in your home as well. Check and see if the appearance of your breasts or nipples has changed. Are your nipples inverted or turning inwards? Has the shape of your breasts suddenly changed in size or shape? Is there a discharge from your nipples? These are symptoms of breast cancer. If you notice anything like this, check with your doctor right away.