Breast Cancer, Breast Reconstruction

Breast cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cancerous cell growth that begins in the breast. Both women and men are susceptible to this type of cancer, though women are roughly a hundred times more likely to develop it. An estimated 80 percent of cases feature the discovery of a lump in the breast as the main symptom followed by an X-ray procedure to detect it, known as a mammogram. Lumps in the lymph node area of the armpits or collarbone can also indicate breast cancer.

Surgery is the central treatment method in cases of localized' tumors, where the cancer is present but has not spread beyond its point of origin. In breast cancers of all stages, treatments can also include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, laser thermotherapy and immune therapy.

After cancer treatment, many women desire breast reconstruction. This is because the removal of a tumor and the surrounding tissue compromises the breast's original size and form.

There are two methods most commonly used: breast implants and flap reconstruction. The former method involves placing a breast-shaped prosthetic, filled with silicone or saline, under the chest muscle or onto the chest wall.

But flap reconstruction is more radical. It allows the surgeon to rebuild the breast area by transplanting soft tissue from other parts of the woman's body, such as the abdomen, buttocks, thighs or back. In this procedure, surgeon often performs additional incisions to produce a connected blood supply between the breast area and the location of the donated tissue. Both reconstruction methods can require up to six weeks of recovery. The patient later undergoes surgery to rebuild the areola and nipple.

Breast cancer can be treated but not cured; this particular form of the disease the most prevalent of cancers among women. Its worldwide rate among females regularly exceeds cancers of the cervix and lung though lung cancer has shown to be the deadliest among women. Cancer of the breast is determined to result from either heredity or various environmental and lifestyle factors. Age, family history, obesity, diet, hormonal levels, tobacco intake and radiation are among the common considerations in cases of breast cancer. Those factors, plus the size and type of breast cancer, are regularly used to divide patients into high risk' and low risk' cases. This helps determine the best course of treatment.

Information from the American Cancer Society indicates that breast cancer rates have increased by nearly 30 percent since the 1970s. The increase is due to a gradually higher number of screenings that then lead to early detection. This means, in turn, that death rates have dropped due to early treatments. The Society study showed that the death rate has dropped regularly since 1990.

And though it's true that a permanent cure doesn't exist, the developments in research and treatment have helped steadily increase the survival rate. For example, when surgery is successful, radiation treatments are often used to eliminate remaining cancer cells. With correct timing and dosage, this procedure alone can reduce the risk of breast cancer reccurrence by up to 65 percent. Also, a predictor test called MammaPrint' was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2007. This genetic test can help foresee if women in the early stages of breast cancer will relapse within a decade. With this information, doctors can gauge how aggressive a woman's initial treatment should be.