Tuesday, June 2, 2009

YOUNG WOMEN & BREAST CANCER..

Although it is uncommon for younger women to be diagnosed with breast cancer is can and does happen. The cases in younger women being diagnosed with breast cancer has increased.The article states that there are more than 250,000 women in the U.S. who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40 or under, and about 10,000 young women will be diagnosed next year. Many doctors that treat young women do not usually test for breast cancer. They usually say the cause is a lump a cyst or some other type of growth. The article aslo states that there is no effective breast cancer screening for younger women. Younger women have denser tissue in their breast so it is hard to detect anything. Most younger women do not find out they have breast cancer until it is in its advanced stages. Which is crazy because at the time the treatment doesn't work. The treatment is less likely to respond with a women with breast cancer in its last stages.
A lot of young women do not believe they can get breast cancer because of the fact that they are young. It is completely wrong. Another article I read states that only 5 percent of breast cancer cases are in young women. But this doesn't mean that they should take it lightly. Young women should be aware of thier own personal risks. One thing young women should know is that breast cancer can cause other health problems such as pregnancy, fertility, and sexuality in the long run.
Mammograms are not really recommended for young women because they are less likely to show the cancer. As stated in a article, the American Health Society recommends that young women do monthly breast self-examinations. "The best time to perform BSE is the day after your monthly period ends. Becoming familiar with the look and feel of their breasts offers the best chance for a young woman to notice any change", states the article. I think there is not enough attention paid to younger women and the issue of breast cancer. Young women should join and form groups to be advocates for ourselves and many other young women in the U.S.

1 comment:

  1. Cancer begins when healthy cells in the breast change and grow out of control, forming a mass or sheet of cells called a tumor. A tumor can be cancerous or benign. A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body. A benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not spread.

    Breast cancer spreads when the cancer grows into other parts of the body or when breast cancer cells move to other parts of the body through the blood vessels and/or lymph vessels. This is called metastasis.

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