Chronic_Diseases

Breast cancer is a cancerous tumor that develops in the breasts’ cells and occurs when the genes responsible for cell growth have abnormal changes or mutations. Normally, the cells in our bodies create new cells, which replace old cells once the older ones die. Over time, mutations will turn on specific genes while others in the cell are turned off. Once this has occurred, the changed gene can divide without order or control, producing similar cells that form a tumor. Breast tumors are either malignant (cancerous) or benign (not cancerous). Benign tumors cells are almost normal in appearance, they grow slowly, but they will not attack nearby tissue, and will not spread throughout the body. A malignant tumor if left untreated, will eventually spread, and once these cancerous cells spread to the lymph nodes; they can easily spread throughout the body. The main nonmodifiable risk factors of breast cancer are: age, gender, family history, and genetics. The main risk factor of getting breast cancer is being a woman, while men do develop breast cancer, the diseases is found in woman more often than in men. As we age, we have an increased risk of getting breast cancer; 1 out of 8 cases of breast cancer occur in woman under 45, while 2 out of 3 cases of breast cancer occur in woman 55 or older. Breast cancer risk is increased if there is a blood relative that has had breast cancer. The risk of getting breast cancer doubles if there is one first-degree relative (sister, daughter or mother) who has had breast cancer while having two first-degree relatives triples the chance of getting the disease. The last main risk factor is genetics; genes account for 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases, resulting from defective genes (mutations) that are inherited from a parent. The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the cause of most hereditary breast cancers; it is possible to be tested for mutations specific to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, as well as other genes that may be linked to breast cancer. I learned from the health assessment that there are some lifestyle changes that I can take to lower my risk of getting breast cancer. They are: regular breast cancer screenings, loosing weight, increasing my physical activity, eating more fruits and vegetables and eating more fish and less red meat. It is suggested that I receive a breast cancer screening from a qualified health professional every 1 to 2 years. Because I have a high BMI, it is also suggested that I loose weight by cutting my daily caloric intake and become more physically active, working out 3 to 5 times a week. While I eat 2 to 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, the assessment suggests that I increase this to five servings a day. The last suggestion is that I eat more fish, and eat less red meat (lamb, pork and beef). The assessment states that woman who eat red meat are more likely to get breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease and stroke than woman who little or no red meat.