Cancer Research

Issues in law and society

Breast Cancer

Cancer by definition is a disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and can

invade other tissues in the body. Cancer can spread to other parts of the body through the blood

and lymph system. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in men and women in the United

states. Cancer is a disease that has affected many people throughout history. The earliest

evidence of cancer was found in mummies in ancient Egypt which dates back to about 1600 B.C.

There was no cure or treatment for the disease in those times.

Throughout the years there have been many theories about cancer. The earliest theory

was by a physician named Hippocrates who said cancer was caused by an imbalance of 4 fluids

in the body. This theory lasted for about 1300 years. Another theory was that cancer was caused

by chronic irritation and another theory was that cancer was contagious and spread through

parasites. Around 1962 scientist learned that cancer can be caused by chemicals, radiation,

viruses, and could be inherited from ancestors.

The second more common type of cancer is breast cancer. About 232,340 women will be

diagnosed with breast cancer and of those 39,620 will die from the disease in 2013. 1 of 8

women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. In the past breast cancer was

not treatable and the survival rate was extremely low. However scientist knowing more than they

did in the past has increased the survival rate significantly. Now women who are treated for

breast cancer can survive and live a long and healthy life.

It is important to catch breast cancer as early as possible because the earlier you start

treatment the higher your chance of survival. One treatment for breast cancer is chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy is a use of drugs that stop the cancer cells from growing either by killing the

cancer cells or stopping them from dividing. These drugs can be administered in...