Monday, December 29, 2008

Stage 4 Cancer: Beginner's Guide To Breast Cancer

By Jenni Snook

One of the most talked about cancers in women is probably breast cancer. While this disease is typically rare in men, it is important for everyone to understand that they are at risk. This is especially true when it comes to women. You will discover in this article, what breast cancer really is as well the necessary symptoms that it is associated with.

Breast cancer is essentially a case of unusual growth that happens principally in the breasts of a person. In the case of women, changes in the size of their breasts is frequent and normal due to their menstrual cycle. During a breast examination, a lump or knot may be felt in the breasts. It may be that a lot of these are not dangerous, however there is still a possibility that they may be signs of cancer. If a lump is found to be cancerous, it may metastasize to other tissue. This simply means that it could disperse. The lymphatic system and the bloodstream are the 2 mediums through which cells from the breasts travel to other regions of the body. There have been cases where the spread has been quite slow, and there have been others where this spread has been pretty fast.

Medical professionals have stated time and time again that in the early stages of this type of cancer, there may be absolutely no symptoms at all. Hence, the symptoms only start to become more obvious, once the cancer begins to advance. Below, I outline the most important symptoms that you will be able to detect if you indeed possess cancers in your one or both breasts:

1. An individual may start to notice that there is pain in the breast. This is often accompanied by the sensation of tenderness as well.

2. Your breasts may start discharging some liquid which may be colourless, slightly yellow or even look like blood.

3. If your breasts change size, then this could indicate cancer. Nonetheless, there may be changes linked to the overall texture. Furthermore, if you find that a breast is abnormally hot to touch, then this could be another symptom.

4. Another clear sign of breast cancer is swelling of either the breast or the lymph node found just under your arm. It's vital that you comprehend that this could be a sign that cancer is growing.

5. Many individuals may begin to experience itching, burning, and even physical ulcerations on the skin of the breasts.

Contrary to popular belief, there are many types of breast cancer. In addition, there are several indicators that demonstrate that you may have breast cancer. It is important that you learn exactly how to do a breast examination, and that you do it on a regular basis. Once to twice a month is typically appropriate. If, by chance, you detect any one of the symptoms listed in this article, then it is important that you get in touch with your doctor for an examination as soon as possible.

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