As you might already know, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is located in the breast and it emerges from uncontrolled multiplication of breast tissue at a spectacular rate. The gravity of this disease and its evolution is still a very common issue and unfortunately it causes numerous victims every year.



There is no exact cause of the disease, but age and female hormones play a major role in determining breast cancer. Breast cancer in women is most common between 40 and 50 years. The risk of breast cancer in women between 30 and 40 years is about 1 in 250 women, while in the case of women between 40 and 50 years is 1 in 70. If you ask yourself how you can find breast cancer you should know that breast cancer in an early stage, can be easily detected by mammography before any other symptoms appear.

The most common symptom is a painless breast lump. Of course, there are many more signs and symptoms of breast cancer that you should not ignore. For instance, if you present any of the following signs, you should immediately consult a doctor: a lump in the breast or armpit recently appeared, any change in the size or shape of the breast, changes of the skin, such as a wrinkle or a blemish and also any leakage or bleeding from the nipple occurring, changes in the nipple, such as retraction, changes in skin color or texture of the breast, or a darker color around the nipple should be reported.

The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age: the disease is rare in women younger than 35 years, all women over 40 years have a greater risk of breast cancer, but most cases occur in women over 60 years. Also breast cancer is more common among white women over the black, Hispanic or Asian. Very important is as well the personal history of breast cancer - Women who have had breast cancer in one breast have an increased risk of developing a second or a new cancer.

Breast cancer may recur in the same breast, in the other breast or in other parts of the body such as lung, liver, brain or bones. Family history is another important risk factor - a woman's risk for breast cancer is increased if the mother, sister, daughter, or two or more close relatives such as cousins have a history of breast cancer, especially if they were diagnosed before the age of 50 years. Women who inherit specific genetic mutations in the BRCA 1 and BRCA2 genes have a much higher risk of breast cancer.

Relatives of breast cancer patients bearing these changes have greater risk of developing breast cancer, colon or ovary. However, there are women who have a family history of breast cancer, but they never had the disease. There are also some other factors that increase the risk of breast cancer in women.

For example, women whose breasts were exposed at young ages to significant amounts of radiation to the breasts, have an increased risk of developing cancer. Older age at the birth of first child should also be taken into consideration. Women who give birth to their first child after the age 30 have an increased risk of breast cancer compared to those who have their first child before 30 years. Studies have shown that women who have a diet high in fat are more susceptible to breast cancer than those with a diet low in fat. Alcohol consumption should be also avoided.