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How Breast Cancer Is Treated

By: Blake K. Pitts


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The second most common cause of death in females all over the globe is breast cancer. It is usually when a lump is found in the breast or change in the breast tissue is noticed. If detected at an early stages, the treatment has much higher chances of success, which is why in developed countries mammography is a part of regular screening in female patients. Even though breast cancer is rare in men, it still accounts for 450 annual deaths in the US alone.

Causes of breast cancer:

The exact causes of breast cancer are still unclear, but most of the risk factors have been already identified; the factor that has most weight is the genetic predisposition – if a woman has close family members that have had breast cancer, she is very likely to get breast cancer herself. If a woman has already had breast cancer, she is also more likely to develop cancer in her second breast. Age and race play major role as well – older women are more vulnerable and so are Caucasian women, but African-American women have faster growing tumors and lesser chance of surviving the disease.

Still, not all risk factors are beyond control – the direct link between hormones and breast cancer has already been proven and nowadays most medical professionals are convinced that the more a woman is exposed to the hormone estrogen, the higher is the risk of breast cancer developing. These are usually females that have had their initial menstruation before the age of twelve, have no children or had their first child when they were in their thirties. It has also been suggested that regular exercise can diminish the chance of breast cancer.

Breast cancer treatment:

Not all treatments work for all patients, which is why a treatment should be decided by the patient after numerous scans and tests and after consulting a specialist. The treatment options are targeted therapy, chemotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy. The best possible treatment depends on the test results, the stage of development of the cancer and the overall health of the patient.

There are three main groups of drugs used for breast cancer treatment: monoclonal antibodies, chemotherapy and hormone blocking therapy. These medicines are prescribed in the different stages of the disease and when they act as an addition to the primary treatment, are called adjuvant therapy. One of the most commonly prescribed hormone blocking therapy medication is Tamoxifen 10mg, which is sold as Nolvadex or generic Nolvadex and acts by reacting with the estrogen, which hormone facilitates the development of cancer.

Most treatments for breast cancer come with side effects, which is why Tamoxifen should be taken only after being prescribed by a qualified doctor; usually the treatment lasts a few years, and some of the bad reactions like nausea or insomnia only occur at an early stage, but if the side effects are severe, immediate medical attention should be sought.

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This review is written by a well-known expert in women's health. If you want to learn more about breast cancer causes, tamoxifen 20 mg, tamoxifen 10 mg or breast cancer treatment - visit one of his websites.

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