How Fast Do Breast Cancer Tumors Grow ?
Ever since the disease of cancer has been identified, it has been a subject of extensive research. Scientists desire to comprehend the minutest details of this disease so as to save the human race from its fatal consequences. Breast cancer in women commences with the development of malignant tumors in the breast area. |
With the gradual increase in the malignancy, the tumor grows infesting the entire breast with cancer and if left untreated, the cancerous cells soon migrate to the other parts of the body as well. In general, a breast tumor can be detected by screening once it has attained a diameter of 5 to 10 millimeters. Many studies have been carried out in order to analyze the rate of growth of the cancerous tumors in the breast. One such study conducted by the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program involved as subjects 395,188 women with breast cancer ranging between the age group of 50 to 69 years.
The study showcased major discrepancies in the rate of growth of the tumors amongst the subjects. While in 5 percent of the tumors, the increase from 10 to 20 millimeter in diameter was recorded in a span of less than 1.2 months; another set of 5 percent cases underwent the same growth in a period of 6.3 years. The experiment resulted in the mean calculation of tumor progression from size 10 to 20 millimeters in diameter as 1.7 years. However, it was also observed that the growth rate was directly proportional to increase in age. 1.4 years was calculated as the mean duration of tumor growth from diameter 10 to 20 millimeters in women between the ages 50 and 59 years; while the same was recorded as 2.1 years for subjects within the age bracket of 60 to 69 years. Therefore, the net result of the study highlighted that the growth of breast cancer tumor varies in different patients, with the fundamental variable being the age of the individual.
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