Breast Cancer: Awareness, Risks & Prevention

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women over 50 years old, and early detection through mammograms and clinical examinations significantly improves survival rates.

• Regular screening should begin at age 40for women without high-risk factors.
• Common symptomsinclude lumps, bloody nipple discharge, skin changes, and axillary swelling.
• Breast pain is rarely a symptom of breast cancer.
• Survival rates exceed 85%for women diagnosed early, with a prognosis of living beyond 20 years post-diagnosis.

Understanding Breast Cancer

Breast cancer occurs due to uncontrolled cell growth in the breast, triggered by genetic mutations. These mutations disrupt the normal cell replacement process, causing abnormal proliferation.

Types of Breast Tumors:
✔️ Benign tumors (90%) – Non-life-threatening.
✔️ Malignant tumors – Can spread and become life-threatening.

Origin of Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer usually begins in:
✅ Lobules – Milk-producing glands.
✅ Ducts – Pathways for milk transport.
✅ Connective/Lipid Tissue – Less commonly.

Cancer can invade nearby tissues and metastasize through the lymphatic system to the axillary lymph nodes. If cancer spreads to lymph nodes, there is a higher risk of distant metastases.

Stages of Breast Cancer:
The stage determines how far cancer has spread:
✅ Stage 0 – Non-invasive, localized within the breast.
✅ Stage IV – Invasive, has spread beyond the breast to other organs.

Genetics & Breast Cancer
🔹 Only 5-10% of cases are inherited from a family member.
🔹 The majority are sporadic mutations, often linked to aging.

Lifestyle modifications (healthy diet, exercise, avoiding smoking/alcohol) can reduce the risk but cannot eliminate it entirely.
A breast cancer diagnosis is not a result of personal choices or mistakes.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

🔹 Lifetime risk of breast cancer is 12% (1 in 8 women).
🔹 Individual risk varies based on genetics, environment, and lifestyle.

Risk assessment models help estimate personalized risk, enabling tailored prevention strategies.

Modifiable Risk Factors

Body Weight
✔️ Obesity (especially post-menopause) increases risk.
✔️ Fat cells produce estrogen, which fuels breast cell proliferation.

Diet & Nutrition
✔️ A diet rich in fruits & vegetables, low in processed foods and saturated fats supports overall health.

 Physical Activity
✔️ Regular exercise lowers breast cancer risk.

Alcohol Consumption
✔️ More alcohol = Higher risk.
✔️ Alcohol affects estrogen regulation, contributing to increased risk.

 Smoking
✔️ Smoking is linked to a slight increase in breast cancer risk.

Hormonal Exposure
✔️ Estrogen stimulates breast tissue growth.
✔️ Long-term exposure (e.g., obesity, postmenopausal hormone therapy) raises the risk.
✔️ Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for >5 years increases risk but subsides after stopping.

 Oral Contraceptives
✔️ Slightly increases risk during use, but risk declines after 10 years of discontinuation.

Stress & Psychological Factors
✔️ No direct link proven between stress and breast cancer.
✔️ Mental well-being supports immune function and overall health.

Socioeconomic Factors
✔️ Higher incidence is observed in women of higher socioeconomic status, possibly due to delayed childbirth and fewer pregnancies.

Non-Modifiable Risk Factors

Gender
✔️ Women are at much higher risk than men.
✔️ Estrogen & progesterone influence cell changes, increasing risk.

Age
✔️ Breast cancer risk increases with age.
✔️ 1 in 228 women (30-39 years old).
✔️ 1 in 29 women (60 years old).
✔️ 25% of cases occur before menopause; 15% before age 45.

Anatomical Predisposition
✔️ Left breast is affected more frequently than the right.
✔️ Most cases occur in the upper outer quadrant.

 Family History
✔️ 1st-degree relatives (mother, sister, daughter) – 2-3x increased risk.
✔️ 2+ affected relatives – 5x increased risk.
✔️ Younger age at diagnosis or bilateral breast cancer further increases risk.
✔️ BRCA1 & BRCA2 gene mutations account for 5% of all cases but two-thirds of hereditary cases.

Personal History of Breast Cancer
✔️ Previous breast cancer increases future risk (same or opposite breast).

Radiation Exposure
✔️ Chest radiation therapy (e.g., for Hodgkin’s lymphoma) before age 30 increases lifetime risk.

Hormonal Exposure
✔️ Early menstruation (<12 years old) & late menopause (>55 years old) increase risk due to prolonged estrogen exposure.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
✔️ Pregnancy & breastfeeding reduce risk by limiting menstrual cycles.
✔️ First pregnancy after 30 or no full-term pregnancy increases risk.

Ionizing Radiation Exposure
✔️ Exposure (100-200 rads) at a young age slightly increases risk.

Summary: Risk Reduction & Prevention

✔️ Maintain a healthy weight.
✔️ Follow a balanced diet (fruits, vegetables, low processed foods).
✔️ Engage in regular exercise.
✔️ Limit alcohol consumption.
✔️ Avoid smoking.
✔️ Minimize prolonged estrogen exposure (HRT, oral contraceptives).
✔️ Breastfeed if possible.
✔️ Be proactive with screenings (mammograms, clinical exams, self-exams).

Early detection saves lives – prioritize regular check-ups & breast health awareness!