Breast Cancer - Detecting Cancer Early
By Stephan Grindley

Breast cancer is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. In 2005 502,000 people died worldwide as a result of this cancer. Worldwide, more people are diagnosed with breast cancer than any other cancer except for lung cancer and it is the fifth most common cancer overall. While these statistics are alarming, there are ways to keep yourself as safe as possible from this terrible disease.

A lump in the breast is often the first sign of this disease. The lump generally feels different from the surrounding breast tissue. You should immediately see your physician if you discover a lump. Your physician will follow up with appropriate tests and examinations, such as a mammogram, to determine the nature of the lump.

Other symptoms might include changes in the size or shape of the breast, a dimpling of the skin on the breast, an inverted nipple, or nipple discharge. Breast pain should also be checked by a doctor because even though it doesn't usually mean breast cancer, it might be symptomatic of another problem.

Discovering these symptoms should not be cause for immediate alarm. Most of the time, the cause of the symptoms is not cancer. But the risk of cancer is very real, the consequences of cancer are severe, and the disease is progressive, so one should never delay scheduling an appointment with their health care professional.

What can you expect if you are diagnosed with breast cancer? Your physician and other medical professionals will carefully review your treatment options and explain the best courses of action. Unfortunately, some women are so fearful of mastectomy that they delay seeking medical help. You would be well advised never to let this concern delay life saving treatment.

Breast cancer can easily strike fear into the minds of most women. However, it is important to remember several things. First, early detection is a key factor in successful treatment; make sure to perform self-exams as well as routine appointments with your physician. If you are diagnosed, make sure to avail yourself of the many ways to connect with others fighting and surviving this disease.

According to recent research conducted by the American Cancer Society, on an average an eighth of all females are bound to suffer from breast cancer. Although tumors of the mammary glands is not as widespread as heart ailments, nonetheless it evokes morbid dread due to the possibility of illness, fatality, and mastectomy. Any cancer risk is determined on several complex issues that are not yet well understood. Changes to the breast, including any noticeable abnormalities, should be immediately brought to the attention of a physician. Tests to screen for cancer, such as the mammogram, should be performed as recommended by your doctor.