Cancer is the term given to diseases caused by the uncontrollable growth of cells in the body. These over-grown cells spread into the tissues of the body.
Cells do grow in the body but they had to be controllable otherwise, spreading into the body's tissues result to what is called invasive cancer. We call the site where cancer grows as primary cancer. There are times when these cancer cells break away and go to our bloodstream (lymphatic system) and therefore may affect other parts of the body. When the original cancer grows on other parts of the body, this is called metastasis which is also called secondary or advanced cancer.
Early breast cancer is cancer that is contained in the breast which may or may not have spread to the lymph nodes in the armpit. When the cancer invades the lymph nodes, cancer of the breast can progress into higher stage.
It is not known what causes breast cancer but researches disclosed possible risks to this disease. One of these is the fact that you are a woman (although breast cancer also affects men). Getting older and having a strong family history of breast cancer are other risk factors. One other factor is inheriting faulty gene (called gene mutation).
Early detection of breast cancer is life-saving. Self-breast examination is a very great and inexpensive way to detect presence of lumps in the breast. Regular mammograms for women aged 40 years old is recommended; for ladies 35 - 40 years old, breast ultra-sound may suffice. But when there is suspicion of breast tumor, the doctor may recommend mammogram.
Ladies should develop the habit of breast self-examination. This is what helped me. Had I not detected it early, my Stage 2A cancer could have advanced. Of course, after feeling the lump, go to your doctor and have it examined.
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