Breast cancer is the commonest form of cancer that occurs in women and, behind lung cancer, it is the second leading cause of cancer death among females. In 2004 some 186,772 new cases of breast cancer were reported by the American Cancer Society and this number would seem to be going up on a yearly basis.It should also be noted that breast cancer is not confined solely to women and that some 1,815 men were also diagnosed with the disease in 2004 and that 362 men died of breast cancer that year.Women’s breasts are complex structures consisting of glands, fat and connective fibrous tissue. They have several lobes which are split into lobules ending in the milk glands and there are also a large number of tiny ducts from the milk glands that connect together and end in the nipple.   Eight out of ten breast cancer cases start in these ducts and this condition is called infiltrating ductal cancer. It is also relatively common for cancer to originate in the lobules where it is known as lobular cancer. Other types of cancer are known as inflammatory breast cancer.Pre-cancerous changes (called ‘in situ’) are also common in women and are changes that have not yet spread from the area of the breast where they started. Where these changes take place within the ducts then the condition is known as ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS and where they occur in the lobules they are called lobular carcinomas in situ or LCIS.The most serious form of breast cancer is metastatic cancer which involves the spread of a cancer from its original site of growth. It commonly metastasizes into the lymph nodes under the arms or above the collarbone on the same side of the body as the cancer which leads to pain and swelling as the lymphatic drainage system is compromised. Other quite common sites for breast cancer metastasis include the liver, brain and bones. Excluding the very obvious factor of gender, age is a critical factor when it comes to breast cancer. Despite the fact that breast cancer can appear at any age the risk of finding it certainly rises with age. A normal woman of 30 will usually have a 1 in 280 chance of getting breast cancer by the time she reaches 40. However, this then increases to a 1 in 70 chance when that same women is in her forties.   Family history is also an important risk factor for breast cancer with the risk being particularly high when you have a close relative (like a mother or aunt) who has developed breast cancer at a young age. There has recently been found what is believed to be a cancer gene that can be passed from mother to daughter.

Now people have become more aware and more concerned about their health. People have also heard a lot about cancer and how to prevent it. Health conscious people try to eat healthy, exercise daily, and avoid carcinogens such as tobacco smoke, radiation and chemicals. But that is just not enough. Another way to make sure you are safe from cancer is taking precaution step; cancer screening.

Cancer screening is the act of looking for cancer before a person begins to have any symptoms. Being able to find cancer at an early stage makes it easier for doctors to treat and prevent cancer cell from spreading. It is also cheaper and less painful for patients if the cancer is treated as an early stage. To make it easier to understand the benefits of cancer screening I wound like to give an example of two types of cancer often found in woman and why itâ??s important to scan for cancer regularly.

The first type of cancer is cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a disease that affects the cervix, which is situated at the lower part of the uterus that opens at the top of the vagina. Cervical cancer usually develops very slowly and starts as a pre-cancerous condition called dysplasia. This pre-cancerous condition can be easily detected by a Pap smear and if followed up and treated properly can be 100% curable. Without being detected, dysplasia can develop into cervical cancer and spread to the bladder, intestines, liver and lungs. That is why it is very important to get regular Pap smears. Doctors recommend for woman to have a Pap test at least once every 3 years, beginning about 3 years after they begin to have sexual intercourse but no later the 21 years of age.

The second type of cancer most found in women and can be prevented by cancer screening is breast cancer. The two main types of breast cancer are ductal carcinoma which starts in the tubes that transfer milk from the breast to the nipple and lobular carcinoma which starts in the parts of the breast, called lobules that produce milk. Like cervical cancer, early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. Women are advised to do regular breast self-exams. This is done by checking for hard uneven lumps in the armpits and the change of size, shape and feel of the breast and nipples. You should also check for fluid coming from the nipples. Another way to check for breast cancer is by either having a clinical breast exam by a medical professional or doing a mammography screening, which is able to detect breast abnormalities that could signal breast cancer. Woman of all ages should perform monthly breast self-exams. And women who are over 40 or have high risk of developing breast cancer should have regular mammograms.

As you can see both types of cancer mentioned above do not cause symptoms at an early stage and can only be detected by cancer screening. By being able to detect cancer at an early stage can not only increase the survival rate of the patient, but can also save money, time and pain.