Name: Hannah
Research Paper Topic: Breast Cancer

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Breast Cancer



Have you ever thought that maybe just one day you would get a call from your doctor saying you have breast cancer?  My mom got that call 9 yrs ago.  I was little, but seeing that made me want to write this paper.  In this paper I will define breast cancer, describe the causes, explain what is currently being done and share what I plan to do to help.



 Breast cancer is a tumor that starts in the breast and moves throughout the body.  The human body is made up of many cells.  When one cell wears out it gets replaced, it replaces by dividing into two identical cells.  But sometimes a problem occurs and it keeps on dividing making cells the body doesn’t need.  Breast cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer in the United States, and it is the most common type of cancer in women.  The first sign of breast cancer may be a lump in the breast; a thickening, swelling, or dimpling; skin irritation or scaliness; pain; or a discharge or tenderness of the nipple.  Breast cancer is most common in women, but men can also get it.  Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer.  It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.



The exact cause of breast cancer is not yet known.  The risk of getting breast cancer increases when you get older. My mom got it when she was 35 yrs old.  A woman whose mother, sister, or daughter is at a greater risk.  Using drugs that contain a hormone called estrogen can also increase the risk of breast cancer.  Obesity, being physically inactive, and drinking alcohol also increase the risk of breast cancer.  Most women use chemotherapy (chemo) and radiation.  Chemotherapy is the treatment of a disease by chemicals that poison the specific disease. Radiation can stop the growth of, or even shrink, a tumor.  226,870 women have gotten breast cancer this year.  39,510 have died.  The chance of having breast cancer, is 1 in 8.  The chance of dying from it is 1 in 36.  Breast cancer has been decreasing tremendously.  Right now there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States including my mom.

Believe it or not you don’t have to be very old to help.  If a loved one has gotten breast cancer, the first thing you need to do is be unselfish.  Put them first.  Second, educate yourself.  So you can help them understand as you understand.  Lastly, believe in them. If just one person has hope, they’ll have hope.  October is breast cancer awareness month.  NFL teams wear pink, just wear a little pink.  There are many walks for cancer.  One year I walked until one in the morning raising money for a cure.  Researchers are working really hard to find a cure.  Nothing has been found, but there is always hope.
        

 I plan to do whatever I can.  I try to walk for cancer when I can find time.  I’m trying to raise money for a cure because so many innocent women are taken from us every year. Thankfully the deaths have been decreasing, but thousands are still dying.  We need a cure.



 You have just read about Breast Cancer, it’s causes, what’s being done to help and my plans to help.  Many women a year die of this deadly disease.  My foundation is American Cancer Society.  Please donate for a cure.  Give a little hope.

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Works Cited

American Cancer Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/index>.



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InfoBits. N.p.: n.p., n.d. “Breast Cancer”. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits>.



“’My mom beat Breast Cancer.’” Scholastic Choices, May 2009: n. pag. Print.



“Push for a Cure.” Girls’ Life Nov. 2002: n. pag. Print.



“Quotations for Cancer Patients, Survivors, and Loved Ones.” Quote Garden. N.p., 7 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.quotegarden.com/cancer.html>.



“Teens’ cancer research takes top award.” Current Science, a Weekly Reader Publication 22 Apr. 2005: n. pag. Print.