National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United State, aside from skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. Today, there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States.Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drains milk from the lobules to the nipple.

Symptoms

- Swelling of all or part of the breast
- Skin irritation or dimpling

- Breast pain

- Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward

- Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin

- A nipple discharge other than breast milk

- A lump in the underarm area

Treatment

Surgery is usually the first line of attack against breast cancer, there are two types of surgery:
Lumpectomy- breast conserving surgery, is the removal of only the tumor and a small amount of the surrounding tissue.
Mastectomy- removal of all breast tissue

Following with Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, and/or Hormonal Therapy

Physical Therapy is beneficial to the breast cancer patient before and after surgery. A physical therapist monitors participation in a supervised and progressive exercise program allowing the woman to take an active role in her physical recovery. A therapists goal is to accelerate healing and improve function use of the arm and return to function in every aspect.