A Breast Cancer Lump

A breast cancer lump is often the first sign that you have this serious disease. You should see your doctor and check it out. There is always the possibility that your lump is not cancer. But a diagnosis is necessary.

A breast cancer lump is a malignant lump made up of abnormal cells. Those cells grow uncontrolled. It will feel like a golf ball with a pebbly surface. It will have an irregular shape and not a round shape. The lump will feel very hard, like a raw carrot or turnip.

You should schedule a clinical breast exam by your doctor, or nurse practitioner. Then you will get a mammogram. The mammogram is uncomfortable because your breast is squeezed between two plastic plates. The x-ray does not hurt. The dose is very small and not dangerous.

"You should schedule a breast exam by your doctor, or nurse practitioner." Your doctor may recommend a biopsy to examine the cells. If they are cancerous, then your doctor will recommend treatment. With this information, you can call another doctor for a second opinion.

Your breast cancer lump is something that calls for immediate attention. Call a friend and take someone with you to see the doctor. Another set of ears is helpful to remember what the doctor says.

What Causes Breast Cancer?

Doctors and researchers do not know the exact breast cancer causes. Breast cancer most often starts in the cells in the milk-producing ducts. They call this type of cancer invasive ductal carcinoma. The breast cancer could also begin in the cells within the breast (invasive lobular cancer).

Doctors do know that breast cancer begins when some cells start growing abnormally. The cancer cells divide more rapidly than normal, healthy cells. These rapidly growing cells form the tumor or the lump that you feel.

Although breast cancer causes are elusive, researchers have identified some things that may increase your risk of breast cancer. They estimate that 5 - 10% of breast cancers are linked to genetic changes (gene mutations).

A number of inherited genes can cause breast cancer. The doctors have identified some of them. The most common are breast cancer gene 1 and breast cancer gene 2. They call them BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes can be passed from mother to daughter.

There are other risk factors, such as:

• age over 60
• obesity
• postmenopausal hormone therapy

Radiation exposure and a family history of breast cancer also count as a risk factor.

How Does Breast Cancer Spread?

Your cells can become cancer cells because of damage to the DNA in a cell. These abnormal cells start out-of-control growth. You get a tumor. The cells can travel through your blood system to another part of your body.

They can also travel through your lymph system. Your lymph system is made up of narrow vessels and lymph nodes. They are located at various parts of your body.

Lymph nodes can trap cancer cells. If they are not destroyed, the nodes become cancerous. Once the lymph nodes are cancerous; the cancer cells are on the move in your body. Treatment includes radiation and chemotherapy. Usually, surgery will first remove the primary site of cancer.

Remember millions of people are living with cancer. It is not a death sentence.