Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : January 7, 2021 9:51 AM IST
What causes breast cancer in women? Warning signs you should look for
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the second-most-common cause of death from cancer. Most deaths that result from this disease is because of lack of awareness and late screening. In a report WHO estimated that cancer affects 2.1 million women every year, globally.
Breast cancer is a condition where breast cells divide and multiply uncontrollably due to mutation in certain genes. Generally, cancer forms in the milk-producing glands (lobules) of the breast or in the pathways (ducts)transporting the milk from glands to the nipple. Fatty or the fibrous connective tissues of the breast can also be the hotspot for cancerous cells. In some cases, cancer cells may travel to the lymph nodes under your arms and spread to different parts of the body.
We're aware of many things about a person's lifestyle or genes that increase the chances of getting breast cancer, but we don't always understand how these might cause the disease. Here, in this article, we will look into the various risk factors of this condition and what are the warning symptoms one should look out for.
The cause of breast cancer or any form of cancer isn't yet known. However, certain factors may increase your vulnerability to breast cancer. They are:
Oestrogen, the predominant female hormone mainly produced by the ovaries, plays a well-known role in breast cancer development and protection.
Factors that increase lifetime oestrogen exposure and, with that, breast cancer risk, including having no or few children and starting your family at an older age. Oestrogen production is interrupted while women are not menstruating during pregnancy and breastfeeding, which decreases the overall lifetime exposure to oestrogen. Going through puberty earlier or menopause later, which both increase a woman's total number of menstrual cycles, is also linked to higher risk.
Having fresh foods are always recommended but what happens when you eat frozen and processed foods? Well, you know the answer. According to the studies, an individual consuming red or processed meats (bacon, sausage, ham) have a 25% higher risk of breast cancer than another individual. This is probably because processing causes small amounts of cancer-causing toxins to form in the meat.
You all must have heard that a healthy lifestyle is key to a healthy life. Also, a healthy mind and body are what gives you a healthy life to lead. Lifestyle in which an individual consumes more alcohol, in involved in passive smoking can increase the person's cancer risk.
Obesity is also a huge risk factor. Obese women have higher insulin levels, another hormone that can lead to breast cancer.
High-stress levels are widely believed by the general public to cause cancer, likely because both are common.
Age is another major factor for women to get cancer. Most instances of breast cancer are observed in women above 55.
Apart from these, there could be other factors that increase your chance of getting this condition: Family history, dense breast tissue, etc.
Broadly speaking, there two types of breast cancer: Invasive and Non-invasive. In the first case, the cancer cells spread beyond the breast ducts. In the second case, however, breast cancer cells don't move beyond the tissue of origin. Apart from these, there are other rare forms of this condition too. One of them is inflammatory breast cancer where the cancer cells don't cause tumour but block lymph nodes near the breast. This leads to swelling. Other types of breast cancer may develop in the ducts of the nipple, connective tissue, blood or lymph vessels of the breast.
As already mentioned, there are different stages of this cancer. The stages are divided on the basis of tumour size and their spread
At this stage, the cancer cells don't spread beyond the ducts of the breast.
At this stage, the tumour isn't wider than 2 centimetres and the lymph nodes aren't affected. A slightly advanced form of stage 1 breast cancer will have the following features:
Instead of a breast tumour, there is a cluster of cancerous growth in the lymph nodes. However, their size ranges between 0.2 mm to 2 mm.
In some cases, these cancer cell groups may also be accompanied by a 2 cm large tumour in the breast.
This stage of breast cancer will manifest through any of the following features:
A smaller than 2cm tumour that has spread to around 1 to 3 lymph nodes or a 2cm-5cm tumour that hasn't reached your lymph nodes.
A 2cm-5cm tumour that has spread to your armpit lymph nodes or a 5cm one that hasn't spread to the lymph nodes.
At this stage, breast cancer can be at any of the following forms:
Cancer cells may have spread to 4 9 armpit lymph nodes. It may also have increased the size of your internal mammary lymph nodes. The tumour can be of any size.
The tumour may be wider than 5cm with the cancer cells spread to 1-3 armpit nodes. They may reach your breastbone nodes too.
The tumours may touch your chest wall or skin attacking up to 9 lymph nodes.
Cancer may be present in 10 or more armpit lymph nodes. They may also be found in your lymph nodes close to the collarbone, or internal mammary nodes.
At this stage, the tumour may be of any size and its cancer cells have travelled to different parts of the body and distant lymph nodes.
Breast cancer is a common disease and millions of women across the world suffer from this condition. While there is nothing much that you can do about some of the risk factors like family history and genes, you can take some preventive measures to reduce your risk factor. Many studies have shown that lifestyle modification can significantly bring down the risk of breast cancer. Obesity is a major cause. To lose weight immediately if you are overweight. Avoid smoking and say no to alcohol. Be physically active and protect yourself from environmental pollution. Regular exercise goes a long way in bringing down your risk of this disease.
Follow these lifestyle measures that will reduce the risk of this condition. (Make sure to consult with your physician before making any changes to your lifestyle).
Sleep is indeed precious because a lack of it can impact overall health. Doctors recommend getting six to eight hours regularly because sleep deprivation can cause an imbalance in cortisol, insulin and estrogen. This imbalance can lead to many health conditions including breast cancer.
Mindfulness is an essential technique to learn; practising mindfulness can help you stay calm and composed, be aware of the present and not worry about the future or the past. Mindfulness techniques like taking a break when you are stressed or meditating in the morning might reduce stress and the risk of cancer.
Munch on cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and kale, which are good sources of indoles and isothiocyanates that might inhibit the development of breast cancer. A study also showed that women who followed diets like the Mediterranean diet that include nearly six servings of vegetables and fruits a day might reduce the risk of aggressive breast cancer called hormone-receptor-negative by 40 per cent.
Alcohol consumption has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and it is recommended that women who drink should be mindful of their intake and try to limit it to five drinks a week.
While these tips are extremely useful, the most important one to remember is to be familiar with your body, understand the shape and texture of your breasts, be regular with mammograms and inspect your breasts once a month to feel for unusual lumps and growths. Any changes, even subtle ones, should be reported to the doctor, even if it is to rule out malignancy.
