The normal cell replicates in an orderly fashion. This process is very intricately governed by various check points to ensure that the new daughter cells are an exact replica of the mother cell.
If there is a rogue cell it is repaired or removed from the cell cycle. Sometimes these checkpoints fail and the rogue cell escapes and starts dividing and growing compromising the function of the normal cells. This eventually takes over vital organs and causes damage.
Patients may experience pain, a dragging sensation, or heaviness due to some breast mass. But breast malignant masses can be painless too. Painless or painful, any symptom in the breast should not be ignored.
Pain may be due to many reasons. Muscle pain, shoulder joint pain, neck pain may also extend to breast and be perceived as breast pain.
Breast pain can also be due to normal hormonal cyclical changes that occur with every period.
It can range from feeling heavy, dull dragging sensation to sharp throbbing or shooting pain. As I said earlier pain or no pain breast pumps should be evaluated.
Cyclical pain before periods is quite normal. It typically occurs a few days before periods and gets better with the onset of periods.
One must remember symptoms are an indication and not confirmation. There could me many reasons other than cancer for any of the symptoms that we keep talking about.
Painless or painful lumps both should be investigated.
Blood stained or watery nipple discharged, change in the nipple areolar area and skin should also be evaluated.
A breast cyst may be painful, and can present with a lump.
A feeling of tightness may be experienced in very stressful situations sometimes.
Most Breast cysts are a part of natural involutional change that happens with age. Many small ones disappear on their own.
Not always. Common things are commoner. Dry skin is the usual cause for itching besides fungal infection. A rare condition called Paget's disease can present with itching and scaling around the nipple areola. This needs to be investigated.
When the skin of the breast gets pulled inwards due to a growth within it produces dimpling
Early breast cancers can be cured very effectively.
The survival rates for early breast cancer are very good.
Not really. The stage and the biological subtypes determine the need for chemotherapy.
No. It is not painful. Administration of the drugs is usually intravenous like any other infusion. We take certain precautions. Post administration for a few days one might feel uncomfortable. It is important to rest and keep hydrated.
Obesity increases the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer. There is a lot of ongoing research on obesity, chronic inflammation as a cause of breast cancer. Estrogen may also play a role in these people.
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