Breast Cancer, Utecht, 1
Breast Cancer
Makayla Utecht
Human Sexuality; CYAF 471
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Breast Cancer, Utecht, 2
Today, it is extremely rare to find somebody who is not affected by cancer in some way.
Approximately one out of every eight women obtains breast cancer in her life, and even one in
every 1,000 men will battle this disease (Watson, n.d., p. 2).
In some cases, symptoms of breast cancer may not be noticed. Lumps may be too small
to feel or cause any changes that a woman notice on her own. However, breast cancer may be
noticed as a new lump or mass in a woman’s breast that she or a doctor may feel. Sometimes, the
lump is painless and hard, but they can be soft and tender as well. Unusual changes that a woman
may notice due to breast cancer include swelling of the breast, skin irritation, paid, redness, or a
lump (Unknown, 2015., p. 1).
Approximately 12 percent of woman who reach the age of 80 can expect to develop
breast cancer. The risk of getting breast cancer is usually lower than this for younger woman, but
it depends on the woman’s lifestyle as well. Risk factors that a woman can control include
weight, diet and exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking, exposure to estrogen, oral
contraceptive use, and stress. Risk factors that a woman cannot control include gender, age,
family history of breast cancer, personal history of breast cancer, race, radiation, breast cellular
changes, changes in estrogen, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and some medications (Unknown,
