Several theories indicate having left breast cancer is found more in comparison to right breast. Nevertheless, none of such theories have enough scientific evidence to support them. Researchers are unsure about the reasons behind this. If you are diagnosed with breast cancer and want to talk to a doctor, consult a breast cancer doctor in Siliguri to get a better ins and outs of the condition.
Over the years, some of them have made various hypotheses to come up with explanations about this. However one thing was clear, both breasts have the same genetic and environmental risk factors for cancer development, so the only difference lies in their structure which can be the cause of the development of cancer cells. These differences include tissue structures, lymphatic drainage, and blood vessel supplies.
A 2022 study found that breast cancer on the left side occurs more often than in the right breast. With the examination of clinic characteristics from more than 881,000 people with breast cancer, they observed that 50.8 %chances of left-sided breast cancer occurred in the people being studied, while 49.2% in right-sided breasts.
In this blog we will discuss some of the possible theories as to why left breast cancer is more common in the left breast including, different sizes of the breast, breastfeeding from the right breast more often than others, and early detection of a lump in the left breast from a right-hand person.
Size of the breast
Some women have left breasts with more volume. This difference in size means a greater number of breast tissue cells in the left breast which may increase the chances of developing cancerous cells.
Detection of tumors by a right-handed person
The right-handed population is the majority. Roughly 90% of people use their right while 10 % of people use their left hand. Thus there is more chance that people with the right hand detect the lump in their left breast. This can lead to more diagnoses of left-sided breast cancer in people.
Breastfeeding
The right-hand theory also applies to breastfeeding. People use their dominant arm to hold their baby during breastfeeding. This results in the left breast emptying less frequently than the right breast which can reduce the positive effects of breastfeeding from the left breast. This may increase the possibility of having cancer in the left breast. According to research, 12 months of breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer by 4.3%.
Is left breast cancer more lethal?
Research was done to check the difference in the left breast and right breast and it was found that left breast tumors are more resistant to chemotherapy than the right breast tumors. Some factors like hormone receptor status and stage of tumor are found to be worse in the left breast.
However, in some other parts of the world, some research shows the results that right-sided breast cancer is more aggressive and has a decreased 5-year survival rate relative to the stage and size of the tumor.
In the end, researchers are still unsure what might be the reason for how aggressive the cancer is in the right or left breast.Different peoples shows different result so it is important that you check your symptoms from the best breast surgeon.
Conclusion
If you are diagnosed with left breast cancer, you are not alone. Breast cancer is more often occurring in people's left breast than the other. The research hasn't come to a straight conclusion and thus it is still unsure what might be the reason for cancer.
Based on my research it was found that there was no right answer to which of the left and right breast cancer can be more aggressive. In case you are suffering from either of them, you should consult the best breast cancer doctor in Siliguri for your treatment. Siliguri is a developing medical hub in West Bengal that will customize the best treatment for you.