Diagnosis
Chapter: 4 - Diagnosis
Subchapter: 1 - Causes of Breast Cancer
Causes of Breast Cancer
- What if it’s cancer?
- What caused it?
- What should I do now?
- How is breast cancer treated?
- How long will treatment take?
- What will it be like?
- Will I be okay?
- What about my family?
When a lump or suspicious site in your breast is detected, it raises some serious questions. In this chapter, we are going to do our best to answer them. We will discuss what doctors know and do not know, how to react to your diagnosis as well as how to understand it, and how to move beyond the shock.
Risk Factors
So what do scientists actually know about the causes of cancer? It’s a difficult question. Cancer grows when a cell’s DNA is damaged, which we discussed in Chapter 3, but why or how that DNA becomes damaged is still unknown. It could be genetic or environmental, or in most cases a combination of the two. But most patients will never know exactly what caused their cancer.
However, there are certain established risk factors that are associated with breast cancer:
- A family history with breast cancer
- Early menstruation (before age 12)
- Late menopause (after 55)
- Breast tissue that is more dense with lobular and ductal tissue relative to fatty tissue
- Noncancerous cell abnormalities
These factors are genetic, they are not something you can control.
60-70% of people with breast cancer have no connection to them at all, and other people with risk factors will never develop cancer.
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Sub Chapters
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Causes of Breast Cancer 02:13
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Why? 01:30
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Diagnostic Methods 03:50
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Biopsy 02:41
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Lab Tests 02:11
Related Questions
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Does it hurt when they put in the port
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer- View all 6 answers
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anonymous
Stage 1 Patient
My port was placed at the same time as my mastectomy. The area was sore for a while. I know some women get it placed and have chemo the same day. I've had it for 2 years now, and don't even know it's there. Prayers to you.
Comment 0 -
anonymous
Survivor since 2007
Mine was some under general anesthetic so I was sleeping. Didn't feel a thing.
1 comment 0
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I have been diagnosed with breast cancer and I am freaking out... Is it bad to research on-line?
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer- View all 6 answers
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anonymous
Family Member or Loved One
I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis! I heard that Beyond the Shock was created specifically to help you to get beyond the shock of diagnosis. The informational videos were created with a team of medical experts, so the information you get from these is legitimate. I would recommend...
Comment 3I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis! I heard that Beyond the Shock was created specifically to help you to get beyond the shock of diagnosis. The informational videos were created with a team of medical experts, so the information you get from these is legitimate. I would recommend watching these (http://beyondtheshock.com/learn). It is okay to be wary of some information that you get online, but there are some good sites such as nbcf.org and cancer.org.
Hope this helps!
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anonymous
Stage 4 Patient
Hi Lori, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I have breast cancer as well. I was diagnosed on May 19th of this year. It's a shock when you first find out and scary. There are so many advances in medicine and SO many resources out there for us! As far as going to the web...there are some...
Comment 1Hi Lori, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I have breast cancer as well. I was diagnosed on May 19th of this year. It's a shock when you first find out and scary. There are so many advances in medicine and SO many resources out there for us! As far as going to the web...there are some great sites that have a wealth of information and some to steer clear of. A few of the good legitimate sites I recommend are breastcancer.org (my fav which has great medical info as well as discussion boards to be able to get support and useful info from other women that have been in our shoes) , komen.org, and cancer.org. Those are my three fav. Your local American cancer society is a great source as well. They can send you packets of info and so much more including getting involved with a support group so you can be able to share how you're feeling with other women. I hope this has helped you.
I wish you all the best in your journey,Diana
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How old do you have to be to see an oncologist?
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer- View all 6 answers
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anonymous
Survivor since 2012
How old are you?
Comment 0 -
anonymous
Survivor since 2011
It isn't about age it is about need. I needed mine onc at 58.
Comment 0
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if breast cancer doesn,t cause pain then why did mine and why does it continue to cause pain?
Asked by anonymous
Stage 2A Patient- View all 5 answers
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anonymous
Patient
Mine hurt felt like a sharp stabbing pain and it itched ... I ignored it :-(....so we all have diff symptoms Medical Comunity dosnt know everything so we have to b our own advocate and trust our gut feeling . Now after i had a right side mastectomy, I have No pain..
Comment 1 -
anonymous
Survivor since 2007
I think the myth that "breast cancer doesn't hurt" can lull someone into a false sense of security. I was misdiagnosed for 7 months. I had pain, itching, and tingling, with my breast cancer. We are all such individuals, our symptoms can run the gamut. When in doubt.... check it out!
Take...Comment 1I think the myth that "breast cancer doesn't hurt" can lull someone into a false sense of security. I was misdiagnosed for 7 months. I had pain, itching, and tingling, with my breast cancer. We are all such individuals, our symptoms can run the gamut. When in doubt.... check it out!
Take care, Sharon
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