About Breast and Cervical Cancer

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develops from breast cells. Breast cancer usually starts off in the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply them with milk. Breast cancer can be separated into different types based on the way the cancer cells look under the microscope, Invasive (or infiltrating) ductal carcinoma and Invasive (or infiltrating) lobular carcinoma.

Symptoms of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in size or shape of the breast or discharge from a nipple. Breast self-exam and mammography can help find breast cancer early when it is most treatable. Treatment may consist of radiation, lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. Researchers have identified hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors that may increase your risk of breast cancer.

Cervical cancer is a cancer that arises from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus, the place where a baby grows during pregnancy. Cervical cancer is caused by a virus called HPV. The virus spreads through sexual contact.

Most womens bodies are able to fight HPV infection. But sometimes the virus leads to cancer. Symptoms of cervical cancer may include:

• Bleeding from the vagina that is not normal, such as bleeding between menstrual periods, after sex, or after menopause.
• Pain in the lower belly or pelvis.
• Pain during sex.
• Vaginal discharge that isnt normal.

Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination. Treatment depends on the size of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread and whether you would like to become pregnant someday.