Breast cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the breast; it can occur in one or both breasts. They occur when the breast cells begin to grow out of control. It is the most common type of cancer after skin cancer which is diagnosed in women. Though it can occur in both men and women, breast cancer is more common among women. The chances of survival and cure have increased in recent times, but it can happen more effectively if it is diagnosed in its early stages. Otherwise, if diagnosed in the later stages, then serious complications can occur in the body.
The symptoms of breast cancer include a lump on the breast, partial or complete swelling of the affected breast, breast skin becoming red, flaky, and thickened, etc. Whenever one notices any of these symptoms, they should immediately consult their doctor so that it can be efficiently diagnosed in the early stages and the patient can be cured completely. Thus, if you suspect having breast cancer, there are a few questions you need to ask your doctor. Hence, in this article, we will discuss the five questions to ask your doctor about breast cancer.
1. What are the risk factors of breast cancer?
The risk factor for breast cancer arises due to various combinations of factors. However, the primary risk factor includes estrogen levels in the body. But the other risk factors for breast cancer are as follows:
- Getting older, women who are more than 40 years of age have an increased risk of breast cancer
- Women who have inherited genetic mutations such as BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 have an enhanced risk of breast cancer and also ovarian cancer as well.
- Women whose menstrual period starts before age 12 and the menopause period occur after the age of 55 have a higher risk of breast cancer. This happens due to the reason that it exposes the women to hormones for a longer period and thereby increasing the risk of breast cancer.
- Women who previously suffered from this breast disease have a chance of reoccurrence of breast cancer a second time. Some non-cancerous breast diseases, such as lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) and atypical hyperplasia, are associated with an enhanced risk of breast cancer.
- Having a sedentary lifestyle also increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Being overweight or obese and drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes also enhances the risk of breast cancer.
- Another risk factor for breast cancer is the female gender itself. This is due to the reason that females have estrogen hormone in their body, which is the female sex hormone. This hormone tends to constantly influence the growth as well as changes in the normal breast cells and thereby enhances the risk for breast cancer in women.
- Suffering from excessive anxiety and stress also enhances the risk of breast cancer among women. This happens because stress and anxiety tend to reduce the immunity of the body to fight diseases.
- Also, lack of breastfeeding or not having children also causes a risk for breast cancer. These two are at risk of pregnancy as well as breast disease. Lack of breastfeeding and lack of pregnancy reduces the number of menstrual cycles among women and thereby also reduces the hormonal exposure to the breast, which could give rise to the potential breast disease, breast cancer.
2. What lifestyle changes should I follow to reduce the risk?
Lifestyle changes may reduce the risk of breast cancer. Quit smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol. Daily exercise and remaining fit is an added advantage. Take a good nutritious diet daily and cut on junk food. Similarly, exposure to certain chemicals can also enhance the risk of breast cancer. On a daily basis, women are exposed to various chemicals such as air pollutants, food packaging plastics, cosmetics, and personal care items. Among these, personal care items and cosmetics contain harmful chemicals which can give rise to the problem of breast cancer. Thus, while purchasing any personal care items or cosmetics, one needs to ensure that they are free from harmful chemicals.
3. Should I see specialists to reduce my risk?
If you suspect having any signs and symptoms of breast cancer, you must see a specialist. Cancer specialists are known as an oncologist. You can consult them as they would suggest you undergo a mammogram test and determine whether you have breast cancer or not. They would also suggest measures to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
4. What breast cancer symptoms do I need to watch out for?
In order to determine whether you have breast cancer or not, you need to check for the sign and symptoms such as a lump in the breast or under pit, dimpling or irritation of the skin, swelling or thickening of the part of the skin, red or flaky breast skin, discharge from the nipple, etc.
5. What preventive measures can I follow to prevent breast cancer?
In order to prevent the risk of breast cancer, you need to limit your alcohol intake, maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and exercise daily. Not only this, but also you need to take a healthy and nutritious diet, limit menopausal hormone therapy, etc.
Thus, above, we have discussed the five questions to ask your doctor about breast cancer. Asking these questions will enable you to know more about the risk of breast cancer and the symptoms of breast cancer. Similarly, it will also be clear to you know whether to consult any specialist or not. Once you get to know about the risk for breast cancer, you should try to make changes in your lifestyle to reduce the risk of breast cancer and thereby live worry-free. If you detect any symptoms of breast cancer without wasting any further time, you should immediately undergo the mammogram test so that if it is detected early, then it can be diagnosed and cured effectively.