2018 Paint paper pink

Page 78 2018 Paint the Paper Pink Lincoln Daily News October 2018 cases of non-invasive breast cancer this year in American women. While men do develop breast cancer, less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases happen in men. Approximately 2,550 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American men this year. “The biggest reasons for the difference in breast cancer rates between men and women are: “Women’s breast development takes 3 to 4 years and is usually complete by age 14. It’s uncommon for men’s breasts to fully form -- most of the male breasts you see are fat, not formed glands. “Once fully formed, breast cells are very immature and highly active until a woman’s first full-term pregnancy. While they are immature, a women’s breast cells are very responsive to estrogen and other hormones, including hormone disrupters in the environment. “Men’s breast cells are inactive and most men have extremely low levels of estrogen. “So hormonal stimulation of highly responsive and vulnerable breast cells in women, particularly during the extra-sensitive period of breast development, is why breast cancer is much more common in women than in men.” From the American Cancer Society How Does Breast Cancer Start? Changes or mutations in DNA can cause normal breast cells to become cancer. Certain DNA changes are passed on from parents (inherited) and can greatly increase your risk for breast cancer. Other lifestyle-related risk factors, such as what you eat and how much you exercise, can increase your chance of developing breast cancer, but it’s not yet known exactly how some of these risk factors cause normal cells to become cancer. Hormones seem to play a role in many cases of breast cancer, but just how this happens is not fully understood. Inherited versus acquired DNA mutations Normal breast cells become cancer because of changes (mutations) in DNA. DNA is the chemical in our cells that makes up our genes. Genes have the instructions for how our cells function. Some DNA mutations are inherited or passed to you from your parents. This means the mutations are in your cells when you are born and some mutations can greatly increase the risk of certain cancers. They cause many of the cancers that run in some families and often cause cancer when people are younger. But most DNA changes linked to breast cancer are acquired. This means the change takes place in breast cells during a person’s life rather than having been inherited or born with them. Acquired DNA changes take place over time and are only in the breast cancer cells. Mutated DNA can lead to mutated genes. Some genes control when our cells grow, divide into new cells, and die. Changes in these genes can cause the cells to lose normal control and are linked to cancer. Proto-oncogenes Proto-oncogenes are genes that help cells grow normally. When a proto-oncogene mutates CONTINUE ...