Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer, Essay Example

Introduction

Breast cancer is a challenging and often devastating diagnosis that requires accuracy in diagnoses, treatment, prevention, and management. Depending on the stage, the disease may present in different ways; therefore, it is important for patients to obtain the proper care and treatment at all times. For example, a 42 year-old female was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine self-examination, and she had no history of disease, does not smoke, drinks socially, eats healthy, and exercises regularly. She currently takes Zyrtec for allergies and a multivitamin daily. The patient began radiation treatment soon after her diagnosis, as the condition was not significant enough to warrant surgery. She remained in follow-up care for six months after her radiation treatments had ended.

Analysis

The patient achieved a favorable outcome due to early detection and the importance of breast self-examination (American Cancer Society, 2014). This procedure is highly effective in identifying any possible problems, such as lumps, that are evident within the breast tissue (National Breast Cancer Foundation, 2014). This is a critical component of self-care and monitoring for women in order to improve their own screening tools and techniques (National Breast Cancer Foundation, 2014). It is important for patients to receive the proper tools and training in order to identify any possible concerns that could be associated with breast cancer, particularly as they pose a high degree of risk to patients if these problems go undetected.

In particular, young women possess considerable opportunities to understand the scope of breast cancer and to determine their own level of risk. This is an important step towards the discovery of new techniques to educate this population and to gain knowledge that this population will support through its own level of screening and prevention (Prevent Cancer Foundation, 2014). This process supports a greater understanding of the issues that are relevant to the younger population with respect to breast cancer and screening tools (Prevent Cancer, 2014). This process also enables young people to better measure their risk and to discuss any relevant options with their care providers in a timely manner (Prevent Cancer, 2014). This process also supports the development of new factors that will encourage people of all ages to obtain examinations and screenings for breast cancer (Prevent Cancer, 2014).

Since the risk of breast cancer varies from person to person, it is important to obtain a greater understanding of these risks in order to determine if additional testing and evaluation are required (UCSF Medical Center, 2014).Women face a higher risk of breast cancer in some settings, particularly Caucasian women over the age of 40; therefore, this group must be monitored closely in order to reduce this risk (UCSF Medical Center). This process requires effective education regarding breast cancer in order to achieve the desired treatment results (UCSF Medical Center).

Conclusion

Breast cancer is a complex and multifaceted disease with numerous stages that requires the use of different treatment alternatives in order to ensure that patient outcomes are met in a timely manner. The prevention of breast cancer and early detection are critical, particularly through screening mechanisms that are designed to improve outcomes and address the condition at an early stage so that treatment is effective and comprehensive in nature. These factors will support the development of strategies that will encourage all women to obtain screenings, perform self-exams, and pay attention to breast cancer as a serious and lasting threat for many women in the United States and beyond.

References

American Cancer Society (2014). Signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-signs-symptoms

National Breast Cancer Foundation (2014). Breast self-exam. Retrieved from http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam Prevent Cancer (2014). Breast health education. Retrieved from https://preventcancer.org/what-we-do/education/programs/breast-health-education/

UCSF Medical Center (2014). Breast cancer risk factors. Retrieved from http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/breast_cancer_risk_factors/