|
 |
Doctor, what is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. The breast is made up of lobes and ducts. There are lymph channels in the breast that drain in the nodes of the axilla (armpit).
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death and breast cancer is the No. 2 cause of death in women. Approximately 212,920 American women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and 40,970 died from this disease. One in 6 women in America is at a risk for developing breast cancer.
Risk factors for breast cancer include older age, age at when you have your first period (the younger the age the higher the risk), older age at first birth or never having given birth, family history or personal history of breast cancer, treatment with radiation therapy to the breast/chest, taking hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, obesity, drinking alcoholic beverages and being Caucasian.
There are several ways to screen for breast cancer: a mammogram, a clinical breast exam and a breast-self exam. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. This test may find tumors that are too small to feel. A mammogram also may find ductal cancer in situ (non-invasive) in the lining of a breast, which may become invasive cancer in some women. Dense breasts will make it more difficult for mammograms to detect abnormalities. A clinical breast exam is performed by a doctor or other health professional who carefully feels the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything unusual. A breast self-exam is performed by feeling your own breasts for lumps or anything unusual.
If you feel a lump in the breast or a lump is detected on any of the tests then a biopsy is performed. Biopsy can be done in two ways: one is a fine needle aspiration and another is a core biopsy.
Next month: Dr. Upadhyaya will provide information on the treatment options that are available for breast cancer.
|
|
| Contact Information |
Dr. Gargi Upadhyaya, M.D., is board-certified in internal medicine and oncology. Her private practice is at 210 S. Grand Ave., Suite 402 in Glendora and she can be reached by phone at 626/335-0213.
For more information about Dr. Upadhyaya or other fine physicians who have medical staff privileges at Foothill Presbyterian Hospital, call The Doctor Connection at 888/456-CVHP or visit The Doctor Connection on the web.
|
|
 |
|
 |