Medical Centric

BREAST CANCER

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BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer is a type of cancer arising from the breast tissue.

  • Worldwide, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer in women, accounting for 25% of all cases.
  • Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it is more than 100 times more common in women.
  • In 2012, it resulted in 1.68 million new cases and 522,000 deaths.
  • Advances in screening and treatment have drastically improved survival rates and the number of deaths associated with the condition is steadily decreasing.
  • There are many types of breast cancer, and some are more common than the other. Some of the most common types are:
  • Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), this is the presence of abnormal cells inside the milk duct in the breast. It is the early form of breast cancer and is usually non-invasive, meaning that it is confined to the milk duct and haven’t spread out. It usually has a very high cure rate and has a low rate of becoming invasive.
  • Invasive ductal carcinoma, this type starts in the milk duct and grows into other parts of the surrounding tissue. It is the most common form of breast cancer.
  • Lobular carcinoma in situ, this type grows in the milk-producing glands of the breast, the cancer cell hasn’t yet invaded the surrounding tissues
  • Invasive lobular carcinoma, this type starts in the milk-producing glands (lobules) of the breast and spread to nearby tissue and organs.
  • The remaining are much less common and may include
  • Angiosarcoma, this type grows on the blood vessels or lymph vessels in the breast.
  • Phyllodes tumour, this very rare type grows in the connective tissue of the breast.
  • Paget disease of the nipple, this type begins in the breasts’ duct, and as it grows it beings to affect the skin and the areola of the nipple.
  • Others are inflammatory breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer

CAUSES

Doctors know that breast cancer occurs when something triggers a genetic mutation within the cells in the breast. These causes normal cell in the breast to become abnormal and multiply rapidly and continue to accumulate, forming a tumour or mass.

Breast cancer typically forms in the lobules or ducts of the breast. Lobules are the milk-producing glands, and the ducts are the pathways that bring milk from the gland to the nipple. Breast cancer may also form in other cells or tissues within the breast.

Researchers have identified certain risk factor that may increase the risk of breast cancer

  • Being female
  • Inherited gene such as BRCA1 and BRAC2, these genes can greatly increase the risk of breast cancer and are passed down from parents to children.
  • Obesity
  • Increasing age
  • A personal history of breast cancer such as having had cancer in one breast
  • A family history of breast cancer
  • Radiation exposure
  • Alcoholism
  • Lack of childbearing or breastfeeding
  • Smoking tobacco
  • Lack of physical activities
  • Chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls, organic solvents
  • Breast condition such as atypical ductal hyperplasia
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • An autoimmune disorder such as lupus erythematosus
  • Early menstruation
  • Late menopause

SYMPTOMS

  • A sudden, unexplained change in the size, shape or appearance of the breast
  • Breast pain
  • A newly inverted nipple
  • A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
  • Swelling in all or part of the breast
  • Nipple discharge other than breast milk possibly containing blood
  • Peeling, flaking, or scaling of the skin on the breast or nipple
  • Redness or pitting of skin over the breast
  • Changes of the skin over the breast, such as dimpling

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

To determine the cause of symptoms, the doctor will carry out a thorough physical exam in addition to breast exams. During the exam, the doctor will check you’re your breast and lymph nodes in the armpit for lumps and other abnormalities.

Other diagnostics tests may include:

Mammogram which is an x-ray of the chest. It is used to screen for breast cancer

Breast ultrasound to produces images of structures deep within the breast

Needle breast biopsy where a small tissue is extracted from the suspected area and tested in the lab where experts determine whether the cells are cancerous or not.

Breast MRI to create a picture of the interior of the breast.

The stages of the cancer are determined based on how far cancer has spread. This will help the doctor to determine the best treatment option. Tests such as a mammogram, bone scan, breast MRI CT scan, and blood test can be used to determine your cancer stage. The stages range from 0-5 and breast cancer staging uses the TNM system. This is based on the size of the Tumor (T), whether or not the tumour has spread to the lymph nodes (N) in the armpits, and whether the tumor has metastasized (M) i.e., spread to a distant portion of the body.

TREATMENT

The stage, your general health, and preference will determine the treatment option

Treatment option may include surgery to remove the breast cancer (lumpectomy), to remove the entire breast (mastectomy), removing limited or several lymph nodes, or removing both breasts.

Radiation therapy that uses powerful, energy beams such as X-rays to kill the cancer cell

Hormone therapy which may use to treat cancer cells sensitive to hormones.

Chemotherapy that involves using medication injected intravenously or taken orally to kill the cancer cell.

Supportive care that aims to improve the quality of life for people with cancer and their families is helpful. If combined with all of the other treatments, people with cancer may live longer and feel better.