Question: If a woman has breast cancer what function does this effect or is it just extremely bad for you in general?

Louise Brown answered on 20 Nov 2013:

That is a very good question! It’s sometimes easy just to think people die from cancer and that it is bad, but not really think about why!

A tumour that is just in the breast and hasn’t spread isn’t likely to cause death. It is when it spreads that the problem starts. People can die because of organ failure if the tumour spreads to organs such as the liver or the lungs, because the tumour takes over and stops the organ functioning.

Other tumours can cause changes in hormone production (eg. pancreatic tumour effects insulin being released) and this can cause death if not treated.

Sometimes people die from the chemotherapy, as this sometimes causes a drop in white blood cells that fight infection. If they then get an infection, it won’t be fought off by the immune system and that can sometimes cause death.

I am depressed now! It is important to remember that breast cancer is a well treated form of cancer and if caught early can be cured.