BREAST CANCER
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers seen amongst the females. I advise all the females to keep examine your breasts of your own time to time. If ever u feel a lump or a heavy mass; don’t ignore it or please don’t feel shy going to your physician; be cautious you might be at risk. If that lump is oozing out or nipples are retracted and also if there is discharge from nipples or if there is bluish/reddish discoloration of breast; ladies I request don’t ignore-You are playing with your own life; need is to consult your physician. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer.
There are many types of breast cancer that differ in their capability of spreading (metastasize) to other body tissues. The causes of breast cancer are not yet fully known, although a number of risk factors have been identified. Breast cancer is a disease that occurs when cells in breast tissue grow abnormally. These abnormal cells can invade other parts of the breast or they can spread (or metastasize) to other areas of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system (a network of vessels and nodes in the body that plays a role in fighting infection).
RISK FACTORS:
1. Family history of cancer
2. Age: women after the age of 40 are at risk.
3. Gene mutation. Up to 10% of all breast cancers are thought to be inherited, and many of these cases are due to defects in one or more genes, especially the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Having these defective genes doesn’t mean you will get breast cancer, but the risk is greater.
4. Hormones. It is thought that estrogen stimulates growth of the cells of the breast , and its prolonged exposure may be one of the factors. Women with early menses (starting before age 12) and late menopause (after age 55) are at greater risk of getting breast cancer.
Use of hormone therapy after menopause appears to increase the risk of breast cancer.
Oral birth control pills if used can increase the risk. But that risk is temporary: More than 10 years after stopping the pill, a woman’s breast cancer risk returns to average.
5. Overweight and obesity.
6. Exposure to radiations increases the risk.
7. Women with a personal history of breast lumps, a previous breast cancer, or certain non-cancerous breast conditions are at greater risk of developing breast cancer.
TYPES OF BREAST CANCER
There are many types of cancer; most common types are as follows:
1. Ductal cell carcinoma in situ: it is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. This type of cancer has not spread and therefore usually has a very high cure rate.
2. Invasive/ infiltrating ductal carcinoma: it is the most common form of breast cancer and it starts in duct of the breast and grows into the surrounding tissue. Almost 80% of invasive breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinoma.
3. Invasive lobular carcinoma: it starts in the glands of the breast that produce milk. Approximately 10% of invasive breast cancers are invasive lobular carcinoma.
4. Mucinous carcinoma are formed from mucus-producing cancer cells.
5. Medullary carcinoma is an infiltrating breast cancer that presents with well-defined boundaries between the cancerous and noncancerous tissue.
6. Inflammatory breast cancer: makes the skin of the breast appear red and feel warm (giving it the appearance of an infection).
7. Triple-negative breast cancers: it is a subtype of invasive cancer with cells that lack estrogen and receptors and have no excess of a specific protein (HER2) on their surface.
8. Paget’s disease of the nipple: it starts in the ducts of the breast and spreads to the nipple and the area surrounding the nipple. It usually presents with crusting and redness around the nipple.
9. Adenoid cystic carcinoma: These cancers have both glandular and cystic features. They tend not to spread aggressively and have a good prognosis.
10. Lobular carcinoma in situ: This is not a cancer but an area of abnormal cell growth that can lead to invasive breast cancer later in life.
Symptoms: breast cancer initially present itself as thickened tissue in the breast, or a lump in the breast or in an armpit.
• a pain in the armpits or breast
• pitting or redness of the breast skin
• a rash or a lesion around or on one of the nipples
• discharge from a nipple
• inverted nipple
• change in the size or shape of the breast
• peeling, flaking, or scaling of the skin on the breast or nipple
A lump in a breast may or may not be cancer.
Stages:
Stage 0: it is known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the cells are limited to within a duct and have not invaded surrounding tissues.
Stage 1: At the beginning of this stage, the tumor is up to 2 centimeters (cm) across and it has not affected any lymph nodes.
Stage 2: tumor is 2 cm across and it has started to spread to nearby nodes.
Stage 3: Tumor is up to 5 cm across and it may have spread to some lymph nodes.
Stage 4: The cancer has spread to distant organs (metastasis), especially the bones, liver, brain, or lungs.
INVESTIGTIONS:
Mammography, CT SCAN,MRI, BIOPSY can be done.
HOW HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT WORKS
Homoeopathic treatment for breast cancer is safe and side-affect free. Homoeopathic medicines boost the immune system and stimulate the inner man to fight against the disease. It stimulates B- CELLS AND T- CELLS to produce normal and healthy cells and to stop the abnormal multiplication of cells in breast. And unlike the modern system of medicine, it treats cancer without producing the harsh affects on other organs.Homeopathic medicines like Conium, Phytolacca, Hydrastis and Asterias Rubens works well in breast cancer.
Conium and Phytolacca are indicated for hard lumps with pain in the breast.
Hydrastis is indicated when there is sharp cutting pains in breast with retraction of nipple. There is Excessive emaciation and weakness along with breast cancer.
Asterias Rubens is a very beneficial for early stages of breast cancer and also late stages when ulcerations have set in. At this stage, this medicine is used when foul smelling discharges are evident with acute pains that may be of piercing or stabbing nature.