What Causes Breast Cancer? Symptoms and Prevention

What Causes Breast Cancer? Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis & Treatment

Bansal Hospital Bhopal > Health Blogs > What Causes Breast Cancer? Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis & Treatment
What Causes Breast Cancer? Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis & Treatment

October is observed as a Breast cancer awareness month worldwide. Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent & common types of cancer to occur in women. Older women, especially the ones in their 30s and 40s tend to be affected more by it. The risk increases  as they reach their 50s and 60s. 

According to recent statistics, one in twenty-eight women is likely to develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Women living in urban areas are more at risk than the one living in rural areas.

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According to research, cancer accounted for 5% of all disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) among Indians in 2016. For patients who have cancer-related disabilities, palliative care has been effective in reducing their suffering.

With breast cancer awareness month underway, we help you understand the severity of this disease and how you could choose to prevent it. 

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a carcinogenic disease in which the DNA in breast cells mutate or change, disabling specific functions that control cell growth and division. In many cases, these mutated cells die or are attacked by the immune system. But some cells escape the immune system and grow unchecked, forming a tumour in the breast.

These tumours can grow malignant and can become metastatic with time, that is could be spread to other body tissues, making the disease untreatable in its later stages.