Eureka! Institutional Repository

Breast cancer is one of the most often occurring cancers worldwide. In Greece breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer occupying the first place in cancer diseases and the second most fatal in women aged 40-50 (Source: WHO). Breast cancer can also occur in men. However, deaths due to breast cancer have been decreased significantly, especially among young women. This is attributed to early detection and effective treatment methods. From ancient times until today cancer has attracted the interest of many scientists. Over the last decade significant advances have been made in medical research, disease treatment and the improvement of patients' quality of life. However, the full understanding of the disease and the mechanisms that cause it, are not yet exactly understood. This paper aims to analyze several factors that may lead to malignant transformation such as lifestyle, diet, exposure to radiation or various chemical substances, the role of heredity and hormones in the development of the disease. It will also analyze the nature of the disease as well as different therapeutic approaches which are widely used in clinical practice. At first the purpose of this thesis is the analysis of the so far known data and then the association between oxidative stress and various biomarkers in different subtypes and stages of the disease.