The biological function of the female breast is to produce milk for the young. However, this role is often forgotten in our modern society. Instead, the female breast is now portrayed as the symbol of femininity and is admired for its aesthetic form. A woman afflicted with breast cancer is thus dealt with 2 blows; one of cancer and the other of mutilation to the breast due to the cancer and from its subsequent treatment.
What is the breast made up of?
The female breast consists of a core made up of milk glands (called lobules) and ducts. This core is surrounded by a layer of fat, which in turn is covered by the skin. Milk is produced in the milk glands or lobules and collects in small ducts called terminal ducts. These terminal ducts join together to form larger ducts, which eventually drain, via the nipples.
 |
Each female breast has about 12 to 15 breast lobules. This understanding of breast anatomy is important because breast lumps including cancer develop mostly within the milk ducts and glands. |
The female breast starts to grow from puberty and is fully developed when the woman is in her twenties. During a woman’s reproductive period (approximately 20 to 40 years old), the breast is under the influence of oestrogens and progesterone (female hormones) whose levels vary with the menstrual cycle. This influence can cause the breast to be tender, hard and lumpy especially pre-menstrually. When a woman enters her thirties, the breast undergoes regression in which the milk glands and ducts become smaller and are replaced by fibrous and fat tissue.
|
