Before you consider breast augmentation surgery, you will go through a series of examinations and tests to make sure you are a good candidate. This will include testing for any kind of disease in the breasts and mammary glands. You may not realize that mammary glands are prone to contracting cancer cells.
They’re found in all animals and humans, male and female. The hormones in the female body are the ones that produce milk and cause the breasts to grow. These chemicals, progesterone and estrogen, are the only hormones that promote cancer cells in the breasts.
One of these chemicals, progesterone, is not linked to breast cancer in its natural form. However, when introduced as an artificial hormone, it does. Synthetic progesterone can be found in birth control pills and estrogen enhancers. Progesterone is the hormone that stimulates the growth of other sex hormones.
Estrogen refers to more than one hormone and is actually a term used for several different compounds. It’s the chemical that creates “real” breasts, those that are fully functioning and developed. If there’s testosterone present, the mammary glands do not develop into functioning glands. This is the reason for variation in breast sizes. The more testosterone a woman has, the smaller her breasts will be. This changes during pregnancy, when estrogen is over-produced to make sure there is enough milk for the baby. The breasts may become much larger than they were before. Once the mother stops breastfeeding, her breasts will return to their previous size and may even become one or two sizes smaller.
Talk to your doctor about the possibility that you may be at risk for breast cancer to determine any need for preliminary tests or treatment. You don’t want to be caught off guard by breast cancer or pre-cancer. As with any disease, the sooner it’s discovered, the easier it will be to treat and, hopefully, eradicate.