Breast Cancer Treatments and Breast Cancer Symptoms: A Sign of Breast Cancer?

Before we discuss breast cancer treatments and breast cancer symptoms, let's briefly define what is it....

Breast cancer is a malignancy that starts in the tissues of the breasts, as the name implies. Although there are several types of breast cancer, the vast majority of cases (approximately 75%) are classifed as "ductal carcinoma": in these cases, the cancer first forms in the cells of the ducts that enable the flow of breast milk.

Other types of breast cancer can start in cells of various locations in the breast, including the skin, tissues, and fat.

There doesn't exist just a single sign of breast cancer. What follows, therefore, is a list of the most common breast cancer symptoms.

1. A lump in the breast, which may feel firm, and may somtimes be painful, but doesn't necessarily have to be. Sometimes the area may not feel outright painful, but tender and sore.

2. A lump in or around the armpit area.

3. Changes in the size, shape, or coloring of the breast is a potential sign of breast cancer. This may entail enlargement of the breast, or changes in the appearance of the nipple(s).

4. Unusual nipple discharge (may appear yellowish-green).

Other breast cancer symptoms include: redness, peeling or scaling of the breast and nipple area; or prominent visibility of veins on the surface of the breast.

If you exhibit a sign of potential breast cancer or more than one of the breast cancer symptoms and believe you might have breast cancer, what are the available breast cancer treatments?

First, you would need to discuss the matter with your physician carefully; early detection is key. Presented here is a brief overview of medically accepted breast cancer treatments:

1. Surgery--this can entail the surgical removal of a lump in the breast, which is referred to as a lumpectomy. A more involved prodecure called a mastectomy entails removal of the entire breast and may also involve the removal of lymph nodes (around the armpit area to where the cancer can sometimes spread).

2. Radiation therapy--sometimes used as one of the methods of breast cancer treatments, the objective is to destroy the tumor or eradicate cancerous cells in the tissues. It is often employed after a lumpectomy or mastectomy.

3. Chemotherapy--this involves an attempt to destroy any potential cancerous cells that may still exist in tissues of the breast, or have possibly spread to other areas of the body. It may be recommended as one of the breast cancer treatments following surgery.

4. Prescription medications--these breast cancer treatments are usually reserved for particular cases. Some breast cancer cells may respond to the female hormone estrogen; specifically, estrogen may stimulate these cancerous cells to replicate by binding to them. Certain prescriptions such as Tamoxifen helps to prevent this estrogen-binding. Another group of such presciption medications are called aromatase inhibitors.

It should be noted that all of these aforementioned breast cancer treatments will depend on the stage of breast cancer.