Breast Cancer - Things You Must Be Careful About!

Breast cancer can affect both females as well as males. However, it is much less common in the male population. Women are 100 times more affected by breast cancer as compared to men. Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer in females (25.2 percent of all cancer cases in women). The survival rate is higher in the developed countries with a five-year survival rate of around 85 percent in US and UK.

A high-fat diet, along with high alcohol intake and obesity-related high cholesterol levels may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Iodine deficiency may also result in the development of breast cancer. Other risks include smoking tobacco, radiation, few chemicals, genetics, and medical conditions such as atypical ductal hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ. High intake of soy-based food is said to lower the risk of breast cancer.

Antiperspirants, deodorants, lotions, and ointments should be avoided on the day of your mammogram. These products may show up on the X-ray image as a white spot. It is advisable to wear a two-piece outfit because you will have to undress above the waist for the mammogram.

Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. It may be then followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy or both. A multidisciplinary approach is usually followed in case of breast cancer. Hormone-blocking therapy may be used for several years to treat hormone receptor-positive cancers. In few cases of metastatic and other advanced stages of breast cancer, immune-modulating treatment may be administered.