Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Symptoms & Diagnosis

 
Breast cancer symptoms vary widely — from lumps to swelling to skin changes — and many breast cancers have no obvious symptoms at all. Symptoms that are similar to those of breast cancer may be the result of non-cancerous conditions like infection or a cyst.
Breast Cancer Treatment & Side Effects from BreastCancer.org

In recent years, there's been an explosion of life-saving treatment advances against breast cancer, bringing new hope and excitement. Instead of only one or two options, today there's an overwhelming menu of treatment choices that fight the complex mix of cells in each individual cancer. The decisions — surgery, then perhaps radiation, hormonal (anti-estrogen) therapy, and/or chemotherapy — can feel overwhelming. Breastcancer.org can help you understand your cancer stage and appropriate options, so you and your doctors can arrive at the best treatment plan for You.

Estimate Your Risks for breast cancer from Siteman Cancer Center

breast cancer is a feared disease. even though lung cancer and heart disease kill more women each year, surveys show that women view breast cancer as their biggest health threat. but women can take steps to lower their risk. even though men can get breast cancer, your disease risk can't give men an accurate assessment of their risk. because breast cancer is rare in men, we don't have enough information on risk factors.
to estimate your risk of breast cancer and learn about ways to lower that risk, take a few minutes to answer some questions about your health, background, and lifestyle.

Breast Cancer Stages from Cancer.org

The stage describes the extent of the cancer in the body. It is based on whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, the size of the tumor, how many lymph nodes are involved, and if it has spread to other parts of the body. The stage of a cancer is one of the most important factors in determining prognosis and treatment options. Staging is the process of finding out how widespread a cancer is when it is diagnosed. Depending on the results of your physical exam and biopsy, your doctor may want you to have certain imaging tests such as a chest x-ray, mammograms of both breasts, bone scans, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or positron emission tomography (PET) scans (see below). Blood tests may also be done to evaluate your overall health and help find out if the cancer has spread to certain organs.

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