Breast cancer or the cancer of the breast. Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women after skin cancer. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer death in women. Adding fact, breast cancer can occur in any individual, male or female, but it is more common in females. Here in this blog, we will inform you about breast cancer risk factors and methods of prevention.

What is breast cancer?

Before jumping to the risk factors, let us understand breast cancer. Breast cancer is a medical condition that causes abnormality in the breast cells.

Causes of breast cancer:
The exact cause of breast cancer is still unknown.

Symptoms of breast cancer:
1. You may find a lump or mass accumulated in the breast region.
2. A sudden change in the shape or size of the breasts.
3. Fluid discharge from the nipple.
4. Redness or irritation around breast skin.
5. Breast pain

Treatment of breast cancer:
Geetanjali Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan, is the best cancer hospital in southern Rajasthan. Our oncology department is best known for its finest and most well-facilitated cancer treatment center in India. Breast cancer is treated by different medical procedures:

Medications:
Breast cancer can be treated by following medications in its early stages:
1. Chemotherapy: Drugs such as Capecitabine, Carboplatin, Doxorubicin, and Vinorelbine are administered to the patients.
2. Hormone Therapy: Drugs such as Raloxifene, Tamoxifen, Fulvestrant, and Leuprolide are administered to the patients for the proliferation of hormone-sensitive cancer cells.

Medical Procedures:
Breast cancer is treated by radiation therapy and the following medical procedures:
1. Lumpectomy: Removal of the entire tumor mass and some healthy tissues around.
2. Mastectomy: Removal of whole breast tissues, including nipples and the pigmented area around.
3. Breast reconstruction: Usage of implants.

Therapies:
Radiation therapy is provided to breast cancer patients in which high-powered radiation is used to destroy cancer cells.

What are the risk factors associated with breast cancer?

One of the best ways to prevent breast cancer is to minimize the associated risk factors. Though some risk factors like family history can't be avoided, you can control the others. Following are the risk factors for breast cancer:

1. Age factors:
With the increase in age, the risk of breast cancer increases in humans. The chances of breast cancer are more once a female attains 50 years.

2. Gender:
As described earlier on the top of the blog, females are more likely to have breast cancer than males.

3. Race:
Though, this thing isn't wholly verified yet. But a report claims that white women are more suspected to have breast cancer. Again, this may be because of melanin levels.

4. Mensuration changes:
Mensuration has two kinds of effects on women:
a. In postmenopausal women, high BMI or body weight is associated with more significant risks of breast cancer. The biological reason may be associated with higher estrogen levels.
b. Though this relation is reversed in premenopausal women, high BMI or body weight is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. The reasons behind this are unknown.

5. Medical history:
If a person is suffering from Benign breast disease, there is a high chance of him having breast cancer.

6. The density of breast tissues:
If women have mammographically dense breast tissue (comprising 75% of the breast), they are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.

7. Hormonal therapies:
If the individual is under hormonal therapies, including:
a. Endogenous estrogen hormone therapy, where higher endogenous estrogen is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
b. Menopausal hormone therapy because of progesterone replacement with intact uteri has increased the risk of ER-positive breast cancer.

8. Contraceptives:
The use of oral contraceptives for birth prevention imbalances hormones to a great extent in females. Also, the risk for breast cancer is temporarily increased with the current use of contraceptives.

9. Pregnancy age:
If you get your first full-term pregnancy later in life, you have developed more risk of breast cancer in them.

10. Family history:
Studies suggest women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer if their first-degree relative is diagnosed with breast cancer before age 30.

11. Exposure to radiations:
Exposure of the chest to ionizing radiation (such as nuclear plants) makes the individuals more vulnerable to developing breast cancer in later life.

12. Lifestyle:
Overconsumption of alcohol and smoking is associated with the risk of breast cancer. Though, there are no valid proofs for it.

Prevention of breast cancer:

The best cancer hospital in Udaipur offers the best cancer treatment in Rajasthan. Following steps can be followed for the prevention of breast cancer.

1. Follow healthy lifestyle:
Only a lifestyle change can decrease the risk of breast cancer. Follow a healthy diet, exercise daily, avoid alcohol and smoking, maintain your ideal body weight, learn healthy strategies, and always be physically active.

2. Breastfeed:
According to reports, breastfeeding also acts as a protective element against breast cancer.

3. Don’t choose postmenopausal hormone therapy:
Hormonal therapy also increases the risk of breast cancer. Consult the best cancer doctor in Udaipur to check if your hormonal treatment can be replaced by non-hormonal medications or not. Also, you should never consume hormones chronically.

4. Limit birth control pills:
Birth control pills excessively affect your body's hormones, and there's some evidence that these pills increase the risk of breast cancer. Thus, frequent consumption of hormonal birth contraceptives should be avoided.

5. Be vigilant:
Be aware and vigilant about breast cancer detection. If you observe any changes or lumps in your breast, consult Geetanjali hospital, the Geetanjali Cancer center is the best cancer hospital, to get treatment immediately.