No one is a stranger to the word cancer. You may not know the medical definition for it, but the word alone is enough to cause the accustomed right. To better understand this disease, it is best that you know what it is really about.
What is cancer?
Medically, cancer can be defined as a disease where abnormal cells divide uncontrollably at a rapid rate. What makes these cells so scary is not just their abnormality but the fact that they cannot be easily killed off.
Even if you do manage to kill them off, there are chances of the cells making a reappearance. Clearly, you can understand why cancer is considered frightening.
Source: You and Breast Cancer
There are various kinds of cancer, and they can occur anywhere in the human body. However, in this article, we will be focusing on breast cancer.
What is breast cancer?
This is one of the most common cancers among women all over the world. Just as the name implies, this cancer refers to the growth of abnormal cells in the muscles of the breast.
No one really understands why cancer happens. There are millions of research labs seeking answers to the mysteries of this disease, but there are certain indicators that researchers have noticed among breast cancer patients, such as;
1. A family history of the said cancer
2. Use of hormonal birth control pills
3. inheritance of certain gene mutations
4. starting your period before 12
5. a history of breast conditions that may be non-cancerous.
6. Weight Issues ( Obesity)
7. Drinking Alcohol
8. Increasing age
These similarities were noticed amongst cancer patients, but it is important to note that not everyone who has experienced one or two of these indications has breast cancer.
Seeing as cancer is, in its way, unpredictable. One is left to wonder if anyone is exempt from breast cancer. Is there an age limit to this disease? Can a teenager of fourteen have breast cancer?
Can you get breast cancer at 14?
Breast cancer can affect any woman of almost all ages, and though it may be rare, it can also affect men. Breast cancer is common in women fifty years and older. Women aged 20-40 years can also have breast cancer.
However, it is extremely rare for a teenager to have breast cancer. According to the incidence rate for breast cancer in the United States, the cases of a teenager having breast cancer is 0.1 in 100,000.
That goes to show just how rare it is. This means that a girl of fourteen can have breast cancer, but it is extremely rare.
How to know when you have breast cancer
There are certain symptoms you should periodically look out for. The reason is that it is best to diagnose the cancer at an earlier stage. That way, it can be treated immediately, and you have better chances of survival.
These symptoms include
1. A hard lump in your breast
2. The lump feels fixed to the chest wall
3. The lump may be painful
4. It could be the size of a pea or larger.
Breast cancer is extremely rare in teens, but it is best you periodically check your breasts. It is better to be safe than sorry.
