Breast Cancer normally starts off in the inner lining of the milk ducts or lobules.

Breast
Cancer of the lobules is known as lobar carcinoma and cancer developed in the ducts is called
Ductal Carcinoma. There are many causes and risk factors of breast cancer which include,
getting older is a known risk factor, 80 percent of the female cancer are among women the age
50 and up, one of the reasons being is the immune system gets weaker as woman get older and
are more susceptible to disease. Genetics is another risk factor women with family that have
had either Ovarian or breast cancer have a higher chance of getting breast cancer. Excessive
alcohol consumption can put women at a high risk which is the reason why its recommended
to drink just a cup a day. Any exposure to radiation can cause cancer women who have had
chest radiation therapy especially during their teen years have a high risk of having breast
cancer. Studies have also shown that women who are exposed to hormones can obtain breast
cancer, the hormone estrogen tells cells to divide increasing the probability of having abnormal
cell division.
Some of the treatments for breast cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, and
chemotherapy. A majority of women who have breast cancer usually have surgery done; a
partial mastectomy or lumpectomy may be done to remove a small portion of the breast or a
quadrantectomy can be done which removes about a quarter of the breast, both depending on
how big the tumor is, radiation is performed after the surgery but will be postponed until after
chemotherapy. During total mastectomies women have their entire breast removed excluding
lymph node and muscle tissue. Sometimes a double mastectomy must be performed as a
preventive measure with women who are at high risk of getting breast cancer. Radiation
therapy uses high beams of particles that remove cancer cells and is used especially after breast
removal in order to prevent any cancer tumor from coming back once its been removed.
Radiation therapy is given in two ways External beam radiation and brachytherapy. External
beam radiation therapy is the most common therapy done, the length of the procedure is
based on the type of surgery that was performed before. If a breast conserving surgery was
performed prior to radiation then radiation will be given in that specific area if the cancer was
found in the lymph node3s then the radiation will be aimed there. Measurements will be taken
before the radiation begins to know where exactly the radiation will be directed.
Brachytherapy which is also known as internal therapy, radioactive seeds are place next to the
cancer. Theres two types of brachytherapy interstitial therapy and intracavitary therapy.
During interstitial brachytherapy catheters are inserted to the affected area and radioactive
seeds are inserted and removed after a short period of time. The most common brachytherapy
is intracavitary therapy where a device is placed next to the place where the breast was
removed; the device is left inside until the end of the surgery. This form of therapy has been
shown to really help the patient.