Cancer of the breast can come as a shock to anyone as it affects both men and women equally. However, women are affected by this deadly disease much more than men, due to their sexuality and reproductive nature. World-wise, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women after lung cancer. Moreover, it usually becomes evident in bilateral breasts and influences women of all age brackets, starting from premenopausal ones to postmenopausal stages. Besides, identifying the early onset of breast cancer depends on its potential symptoms, making accurate clinical evaluation difficult at an early stage. Many risk factors have been described in the literature which puts a tint on the issue of supporting an all encompassing control measure to reduce breast cancer burden. Some of these risk determinants include age, family history, genetics, ethnicity, risk pregnancy, late menopause, obesity and lifestyle factors such as alcohol and smoking.
Despite the possibility of exercising adaptive measures to lend aid, prevention of this malignancy still remains a prominent concern. With the varying potential risks that remain a threat to individual women, treatment options vary from surgical excision and stereotactic radiotherapy options to hormonal and chemotherapy therapies. Based on major treatment guidelines putting a bottom line not only on conservative strategies but also on adolescents,active breast self-examination often changes the bleak outlook. In the era of breakthrough technological advances, patients may also benefit from less invasive yet high precision non-invasive imaging techniques.
Thus, an integrated effort understanding the various aspects of cancerous afflicted in context, is prerequisite towards recognizing and hopefully overcome this seemingly insidious affliction despite rising treatment alternatives. An optimal quantification in medical preventative and screening measures or in enhancing effective surveillance strategies has been highlighted globally by different stakeholders. Considering the geographic and ideological diversified reality, groundwork on a global level on cancer prevvention needs to be intensified as and when recommended.