One thing is true and that is the risk for getting breast cancer goes up as you get older. That is something that just cannot be taken out of the equation. It is also said that one has a greater chance of developing it if someone in the family has also been diagnosed which makes one think that genetics may play factor on whether or not you may get it. Race does not really make that much of a difference, but it also depends on who you talk to. Many researchers have said that women who don't have kids until a later age may have a higher chance, but then that is part of the age factor. Men do get breast cancer as well, but their numbers are not nearly as high as the number of women who get diagnosed.

A hot research topic is trying to determine whether contraceptive and preventive birth control measures increase the risk factor for breast cancer. This topic has been a favorite debating topic among researchers, but nothing can be said about it until more conclusive researches are done.

Alcohol is said to increase the risks considerably, but as it goes, alcohol can increase the risks for any type of cancer. Cutting down the number of alcoholic beverages you consume is a good idea, and if your risk factor is high, total abstinence from alcohol helps.

Weight problems and obesity deteriorate heath, giving rise to various health problems, one of which is an increased risk of developing malignant breast tissues. Fighting this is easy; you just need to exercise a lot more and better, enhancing your general health and keeping breast cancer away. Remember, prevention is better than cure.

Like it's said, the causes for getting breast cancer can be many and varied, and it's not possible to understand the key factor that leads to it. However, there is a lot of research going on in this field, and someday, the key might be discovered. With that, we can prevent many women from getting ailed, diagnose lots of others early and save them from the misery of living through the disease, and cure so many others who could have just lost hope.

The Beginning Stage

At stage 0, a blockage is found in the mammary or the ducts in the mammary. The first type, lobular carcinoma, is not yet deadly and usually the doctor will keep an eye on it by having the patient come in for frequent visits. Even with early cancer, the very fact that a tumor has formed in one breast makes the risk for cancer in the other much higher. Recently, many women have found it more acceptable to have a double mastectomy than to wait and find out if they will have cancer in the other breast and how far it will go. Ductal carcinoma is usually removed and the surgery is followed with other forms of treatment. Breast removal is an option with ductal carcinoma, too.

Stages II through III

Most women will try all treatments before choosing breast removal if there are any other options. A mastectomy is performed when the cancer is too far progressed, or it is spreading to the lymph nodes.

Chemotherapy is often given before a woman has surgery to see if the tumor will shrink. If it does, there is a better chance that she will not have to have her entire breast taken off.

The non-invasive treatments are almost always used regardless of whether or not surgery is done. Treating the cancer intensively makes survival more likely.

If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, full mastectomies and lymph tissue removal is performed.

The Last Stage of Cancer

In the case of stage IV breast cancer, the disease is considered inoperable. Treatments include radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. These do not save her life but often help her to live for a while longer. Women may choose to have no therapy in this stage and opt instead for supportive care. This is meant to help control pain and support a better quality of life while she is dying.

Reoccurrences of cancer do happen sometimes. If a woman is prepared and catches on very quickly, there is still a chance she will survive. If the cancer was "hiding" in the lymph nodes or elsewhere in the body, it is probably in its last stages. Supportive care is usually the best way to treat this stage of cancer.

Women are not the only ones who may develop breast cancer. Men are known to get it as well. It is a rare occurrence, but it does happen. When it does, their treatment options are the same as for breast cancer in women.

When it comes to breast cancer prevention, knowing your risks plays an important part in protecting yourself from danger. It can be as simple as having a screening performed by your doctor. How early you get involved in protecting yourself could be the difference between life and death.

Risk Factors

Risk factors are a crucial part of breast cancer prevention. You can personally manipulate some risk factors, but other are considered uncontrollable. Controlled factors can be determined by your lifestyle. Eating foods that are high in fat and low in nutrients can be a culprit to cancer, along with smoking and excessive drinking. The choices you make in life also become risk factors. Women who take oral contraceptives could have a greater chance of developing this deadly disease. Having children before the age of thirty can put women at a higher risk for breast cancer. Although some risk factors are easier to control than others, familiarizing oneself with plenty of information will only make fighting cancer easier for you.

Forgoing any form of physical activity can also greatly increase a woman's chance of developing this deadly disease, especially if she is already overweight. But a woman can be perfectly healthy, have absolutely no risk factors, and still develop breast cancer. The bottom line is that cancer is a gamble, and you have to arm yourself with enough knowledge to have a winning hand.

Medications

There are certain medications available to women who fall under high risk factors for breast cancer. The drug Tamoxifen has been used in the United States for over twenty-five years to help in the fight for breast cancer prevention. The drug is taken once daily as a pill and interferes with the female hormone estrogen, preventing it from attaching itself to cells in the breast tissue. This medication can also be used to treat women already diagnosed with breast cancer because it can slow down or cease the growth of cancerous cells. Tamoxifen has even been associated with helping prevent a recurrence in women who previously suffered from breast cancer.

Mammograms

A more common way to prevent breast cancer is through mammograms. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and is the most common form of prevention. Women who are over forty years of age should get mammograms on a yearly basis. For women in their twenty's and thirty's, the American Cancer Society's web site recommends getting clinical breast exams at least every three years from a medical professional. This test is performed using the tips of the fingers to check the entire breast area and under the arm. In addition to mammograms and clinical breast exams, women should also perform breast self exams each month to recognize any signs of lumps or abnormalities in the tissue.

If You Are Uninsured

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is able to help women who fall within the lower poverty levels, are uninsured or underserved gain access to screenings for breast cancer. This program is called the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The CDC's web site touts it has served more than two million women under this program since its inception in 1991. In 2000, Congress expanded this service by opening it up to women who are on Medicaid. This breast cancer control act, formally titled the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act, is a way to help women, who may have little access to quality health care, have a chance at breast and cervical cancer prevention.

Being smart and knowing your body is the best way to arm yourself for breast cancer prevention. There is a plethora of information available at a moments notice to give you the necessary information to determine if you are at risk for developing this disease. Learning your family history and going to your doctor regularly will put you on the path towards a long and cancer-free life.