Cancer Treatment Center in Phoenix, AZ
At Palo Verde Cancer Specialists, our mission is to help patients throughout Scottsdale, Glendale, and the greater Phoenix, AZ area beat cancer through high-quality, low-impact cancer treatments. We’re proud to offer a variety of radiation therapy cancer treatments for virtually any cancerous condition – and one of the most common we treat is breast cancer.
What Is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer refers to any cancer that forms in the breast: a layer of glandular and fatty tissue that covers the chest muscles and chest wall. Women tend to have larger breasts than men and are the most frequent sufferers of breast cancer, but breast cancer can develop in a person regardless of their sex or gender.
Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast start to grow and subdivide uncontrollably, eventually forming a large clump of cancerous cells called a tumor. Breast cancer may be malignant, which refers to tumors that grow and spread (metastasize) outside of the breast, or benign, which refers to cancers that do not spread beyond the organ of origin.
Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
Anyone can get breast cancer, but there are a number of factors that increase the risk of any one individual developing breast cancer in their lifetime. Having one or more risk factors doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get breast cancer, as it’s impossible to predict ahead of time, but having risk factors does increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer. The most significant risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Being a woman over the age of forty
- Drinking two to five alcoholic beverages per day
- Living a sedentary lifestyle or lacking physical exercise or activity
- Use of oral contraceptives/birth control (although the risk gradually diminishes after stopping use)
- Hormone therapy
- Being overweight or obese
How Do I Detect Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer can be a dangerous condition, but the success rate for treatment is nearly 100% if the cancer is found early on. Because of this, the many authorities recommend that some women get annual preventive screenings for breast cancer. That said, there’s some disagreement on the exact recommended frequency of screenings. Here are a few recommendations from the most reputable authorities:
The American Cancer Society recommends all women over 45 receive annual screenings
The Mayo Clinic recommends women begin screenings at age 40
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends women between age 50 and 74 get a mammogram every two years
Ultimately, only you and your doctor can decide on the ideal screening regimen for you. You should talk with your general practitioner or cancer doctor about your specific risk factors to determine a screening schedule that makes sense.
Contact Your Phoenix, AZ Cancer Center
The best way to fight breast cancer is through prevention and early detection, but if you or someone you love are diagnosed with breast cancer, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about the treatments we offer and to schedule a consultation at our Phoenix, AZ cancer treatment center. We’ll help you understand your options, choose the best treatment, and start on the road to recovery.