nursing care for breast cancer

what is breast cancer?

One of the most common cancer found amongst women is breast cancer. In the United States alone, one in eight women will suffer from breast cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer is the second-most common killer after lung cancer for women and despite the positive upturn in results owing to increased awareness and screening, it is still important that women are aware of the disease and how to treat it.

Breast cancer appears in the breast tissue when the tissues mutate and keep reproducing. These cells cluster together and form small tumours. Cancerous or malignant tumours occur when these abnormal cells invade other parts of the breast or other parts of the body. They travel to the other parts of the body via the bloodstream or even the lymphatic system – which is a vast network of nodes and vessels that help stave off infections in the body.

breast cancer causes:

There are different breast cancer symptoms as it is caused by the breast cancer cells’ DNA getting mutated. Why it occurs is still not fully understood as these mutations can metastasize and grow over time while some are related to lifestyle and environmental factors.

Breast cancers are diagnosed for women over 50 generally but there is still not much clarity as to why certain women suffer from it. While certain risks that breast cancer poses can be prevented, there are some that cannot be controlled. Here are some key causes of breast cancer:

• Gender and age – Women getting older are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. It begins to increase by the age of 40 and the risk is highest at the age of 70
• History of your family – Having close blood relatives who have had a history of breast cancer increases the risk of contracting it.
• Gene mutation – While close to 10% of cancers are inherited, many cases are due to gene defects, particularly the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes.
• Changes and conditions – For women who have a history of breast lumps or dense breasts or non-cancerous breast conditions have a higher risk of developing the disease.
• Ethnicity – White women are more likely to get breast cancer than any other ethnicity while African American women develop aggressive breast cancer at a younger age, according to statistics.
• Hormonal changes – Women with early menstrual periods (Before 12 years) and late menopause (after 55) have a higher risk of getting cancer. This is because estrogen pushes the growth of the cells in the breast. Similarly, using hormonal therapy after menopause can also increase the risk.
• Weight issues – Being overweight or obese after menopause can also contribute to breast cancer. While an exact reason has not been figured out, it is linked to the higher production of estrogen in the fat cells and increased production of insulin.
• Consuming alcohol – Women who drink more than twice a day have a 1.5x more chance of developing breast cancer.
• Other reasons – Other reasons for the increase of breast cancer risks in women can be linked to radiation, a history of pregnancy and exposure to the DES drug.

breast cancer symptoms:

There aren’t many warning signs of breast cancer that show themselves early. Even if one develops lumps, they can be pretty small and hard to feel. This places a lot more importance on the need to have breast cancer screening, particularly mammography. Early signs of breast cancer that some men and women experience include:

• A new lump developing in the armpit or the breast that does or does not hurt. The lumps can be hard but in some cases they are soft too.(Not all lumps lead to breast cancer as some may be non-cancerous or benign)
• Breast size or shape changes. It is important to note any sort of swelling, shrinkage of thickening in any one breast
• Pitting, dimpling or redness may also be a sign of cancer. It will resemble an orange peel.
• Flaking, peeling and scaling breast skin
• Thick, red or scaly nipples
• Inverted nipple, i.e. a nipple that turns inwards or flattens.
• Pain in the armpit or nipple as well as bloody discharge
• Unusual warmth in the breast area can be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer, which is aggressive and rare
• Swollen lymph nodes that are present under the arm, or around the area near the collarbone can be a sign that cancer has spread

breast cancer types:

There are different types of breast cancer types:

1. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) – This is a rare and aggressive type of cancer that causes swelling and redness of the breast, The affected breast can feel tender, heavy and warm while the skin becomes hard or rigid like an orange rind. It is important to consult a doctor immediately if you face such symptoms
2. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) – This form of cancer accounts for all sorts of invasive breast cancer. It starts in the milk duct, breaks the wall and invades or attacks the nearby breast tissue and spread to other parts of the body as well.
3. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) – In this type, cancer begins in the lobules which are the glands that produce milk. It can spread beyond and metastasize to other parts of the body.
4. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) –This is also known as lobular neoplasia, starting in the lobules that produce milk. It is not breast cancer but rather a cluster of abnormal cells. Having LCIS increases the risk of getting cancer later on.

how can we help?

At Portea, we provide some of the best breast cancer treatments such as chemotherapy right in the comfort of your homes. You can contact us and avail some of the many benefits that we provide patients undergoing breast cancer. We also provide emotional and mental support so that patients do not feel alone when they are fighting the dreaded disease.

While there are many symptoms and side-effects to chemotherapy and breast cancer, we will ensure that we are able to provide aid to the best of our abilities.

Also Checkout:

• Nursing Lung Cancer
• Lab Test for Cervical Cancer
• Nursing for Heart Cancer
• Cancer Marker Test for Female