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I Have Breast Cancer - Now What?

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Breast Cancer Now What

No woman ever wants to here that she has breast cancer. Unfortunately breast cancer is among the most widespread cancers among women. The best steps you can take to preserve your health if you do have breast cancer or know someone that does, is learn as much as you can and talk with your doctor about your treatment options.

Many women do not even know what breast cancer truly is. This article will help answer some of the more common questions you may have about breast cancer.

Overview of Breast Cancer
According to the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, along with skin cancer. Every year more than 200,000 women discover they have breast cancer, but what does that mean?

A woman's breasts are made of lobes, usually between fifteen and twenty; within these lobes are a smaller version of the lobe, called lobules. It is from these glands that a woman produces milk for her baby when breastfeeding. The breasts also contain lymph vessels and nodes, including groups of nodes under the arm and of course, a nipple and areola, or the darkened area surrounding the nipple on a breast.

Cancer is an often deadly disease that begins when abnormal cells begin to grow within the breast tissue. Normally the cells we have in our body grow when we need them, and die once we do not. Cancer cells however, are cells that often grow out of control, forming masses in the breast tissue, which usually results in a tumor. There are two types of tumors, a benign tumor, which is usually not life-threatening or a cause for concern, and malignant tumors, the type that contain cancer cells.

Malignant Tumors
If a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she likely has malignant tumors in the tissues of the breasts. Often a doctor can remove malignant cancer tumors, but unfortunately they sometimes grow again.

If malignant tumors found in the breast spread out and grow to other parts of the body, they metastasize. This means the cancer a woman has is severe, and affects parts of the body aside from the breasts, including the lymph nodes in other areas of the body, organs in the body or in the bloodstream.

The more time a malignant tumor has to grow and metastasize, the more life-threatening cancer becomes. This is one reason it is so important women engage in monthly breast exams.

These exams may prove lifesaving. As a woman, you should get to know the shape of your breasts, and the feel of your breasts. To perform a breast exam, you should explore all areas of your breast, including the area under your arm where lymph nodes containing breast tissue exist. If you find a nodule or unusual lump at any time, one that was not there before, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately to resolve the problem.

Your doctor will often perform a biopsy of the tumor or remove it, and then perform tests to determine whether the lump is benign or cancerous. If cancerous, your doctor will perform many other tests to find out if cancer has metastasized, or if they caught breast cancer early enough for it to go into remission.

For more information about breast cancer, be sure to read our other articles, and check out some helpful resources, listed below.

National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/breast
Discover anything and everything you will need to know about breast cancer thanks to the hard work of these dedicated institutions.

Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com
When you arrive at the home page, be sure to click on the health link, and then search for breast cancer. Here you will find plenty of information on cancer research and related subjects.

Related Articles: 
Exercise and Breast Cancer - How To Survive Using Exercise
Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer
The Four Stages of Breast Cancer – What You Should Know

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