Scientists have made great strides in saving the lives of the thousands of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

The survival rate for women with breast cancer is getting better. Every year approximately 182,000 women are diagnosed with the life-altering disease and 43,300 of them die. Breast cancer affects men too. About 1,600 men are diagnosed with the disease each year and one fourth of them die.

Early detection of breast cancer is crucial. When breast cancer is detected early, 95 percent of them survive over a five-year period. Mammograms are responsible for saving many of those lives.

Women who are 40 and older should have a mammogram every other year, according to the National Cancer Institute and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Breasts should also be examined regularly by trained medical professionals. Women should also examine themselves monthly, they are in the best position to notice the first signs of irregularities in the breasts.

How Does Breast Cancer Happen?

There are many different kinds of cancer. All cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and divide uncontrollably. Every organ in the body is made up of many types of cells. The body is supposed to regenerate cells when the body needs them. Normal cell growth is orderly, but when cancer cells grow, they multiply uncontrollably and cause masses to form. Not all masses are cancerous. Many tumors are benign and don’t spread to other parts of the body. Benign tumors are rarely life-threatening and are sometimes removed surgically to avoid discomfort. Cells from benign tumors don’t spread to other parts of the body. Cells from benign tumors don’t spread to other parts of the body and those non-cancerous tumors are rarely life-threatening.

Malignant tumors are cancerous and cancer cells do invade other parts of the body due to uncontrolled growth. Cancer cells can break away from a malignant tumor. Those cells sometimes get in the bloodstream or lymphatic system and the cancer spreads. Metastasis is the term used for the spread of cancer.

The breast is considered a gland. Its main function is to make milk. The lobules in the breast make the milk and the liquid drains through the ducts to the nipple. Cells throughout the body grow and then rest in cycles. Genes in the cell’s nucleus control the periods of rest and growth in each cell. When these genes develop an abnormality, they sometimes lose their ability to control the cycle of cell growth and rest. Uncontrolled growth of breast cells causes breast cancer.

There are certainly things that women and men can do to protect their bodies from certain kinds of illness. Eat a balanced diet, don’t smoke, participate in stress-relieving activities and exercise regularly. However, many people who, “do everything right” still get breast cancer and it is no one’s fault. By taking good care of your body, you will be ad a great advantage if you do develop this disease. Precautionary measures such as methods to detect breast cancer early are your best defenses against the growth and spreading of breast cancer should it strike you.