Breast Cancer – Awareness and Information

Definition

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer (рак молочной железы, سرطان الثدي) is a type of cancer that starts in the cells of the breast, it usually starts in the milk producing glands (lobules) and the inner lining of milk ducts when cells in the breast change and begin to grow out of control forming a tumor (a mass of cells that divide uncontrollably) that can often be felt as a lump or seen on an x-ray. From there, malignant cells can invade surrounding tissues or spread to other parts of the body (metastasize).

In 2016, breast cancer was the 2nd leading cause of death among women in the united states.

What is the role of estrogen in females?

Estrogen is an important hormone which regulates the natural growth and development of the female sexual and reproductive organs responsible for reproduction, childbirth and postpartum feeding. Moreover, estrogen plays an important role in the regulation of the menstrual cycle. Recent studies confirmed the relation between estrogen exposure and breast cancer in women, as estrogen stimulates the division of breast cells. Furthermore, estrogen plays an important role in the growth and development of breasts during the embryonic period. Estrogen also affects other hormones stimulating the division of breast cells. Estrogen contributes to the tumors that bare estrogen sensitivity.[1][2][3]

What is breast cancer caused by?

The exact cause of breast cancer remains unclear, but some risk factors can increase your risk of developing breast cancer.

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

Females with chronic exposure to increased estrogen levels, are more susceptible to develop breast cancer. It all depends on the level of estrogen. Other risks, such as some environmental and lifestyle factors, genetic predisposition (BRCA1 and BRCA2), getting older, exposure to pollutants, such as tobacco smoke, outdoor air pollution, petroleum refineries, and breathing oil smoke can also increase the risk of breast cancer.[1][4]

Symptoms

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

In most cases, early breast cancer usually has no symptoms; however, as the tumor develops, you may notice a small painless lump in the breast or underarm that persists after menstruation. Although lumps are usually painless, pain or tenderness can be a sign of breast cancer.

It is very important to identify the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and to be able to investigate it yourselves without the need of a healthcare professional, so that if you find one or more of these signs and symptoms you don’t get panic, as initial pathological changes are not always cancerous.[5]

Breast self examination can be helpful in exploring the abnormality on time, Nerveless, abnormalities are not always cancerous, and whenever you notice anything unusual, immediately consult with your doctor.

What are the early signs and symptoms of breast cancer?

Common changes in the nipples and breast that may predict a cancer include:

1. Tenderness in the nipple and thickening or lump around the breast and/or armpit.
2. Skin pores of breasts are enlarged.
3. Breast lumps
4. Changes in the shape and size of the breasts
5. Dimples on the breasts
6. Swollen breasts
7. Shrinking of breasts
8. Dissimilarity in the shape and size of both breasts, which has changed increasingly
9. Inverted or inward growth of nipples
10. Swollen, red and scaly skin around the nipple, areola and breasts
11. Nipple discharge, which is clear or containing blood. However, nulliparity may also cause nipple discharge, so it is not always a sign of cancer.

Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

How to diagnose breast cancer?

The following procedures can help in identifying a possible tumor.

How to self check for breast cancer?

1- Self checking

1. Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror, look for volume, shape, and dermatological changes in the breast while front-facing the mirror.[1][7][8]

2- Raise your arms and look in the mirror for dermatological changes, evaluate the lymph nodes for lymphadenopathy.[1]

3- Look in the mirror at your nipples, and look for nipple discharge.

4- Palpate your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to palpate your left breast and then your left hand to palpate your right breast.

5- Palpate your breasts while you are standing or sitting, as seen in the picture below:

What tests are used to diagnose breast cancer?

Laboratory tests and procedures used to diagnose breast cancer include:

2- Mammogram

A mammogram is an x-ray imaging test used to screen for abnormalities in the breast in which low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) are used to examine the breast and to look for signs of breast cancer. In mammography (a mammogram), an X-ray of the suspicious part of the breast is taken with the breast compressed. More than one X-ray can be taken to get a couple of visual points of the breast.

3- Ultrasound

An ultrasound scan of the breast is a medical test used to diagnose breast cancer in which high-frequency sound waves are used to capture and visualize images from the inside of your body. Sound waves penetrate into the tissues without harming them. These sounds are not heard by the humans.

4- MRI

MRI of the breasts is another process to diagnose breast cancer in which strong magnetic fields, radio waves, and field gradients are used to capture images of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. During a breast MRI, magnetic energy and radio waves are transmitted through the breast tissue by a magnet connected to a computer. It provides a fully detailed scanned image of the breast.

5- Biopsy

In this process, a sample tissue is taken from the suspicious area. Also, a fluid sample can be taken from the affected part, so that it can be further diagnosed with the help of different tests. Basically, these samples are studied with the help of a microscope.

6- Lab Tests

In case a major breast cancer symptom is present, the disease can be confirmed with the help of lab tests. These tests aid in predicting the prognosis and disease outcome.

What blood tests are done to check for breast cancer?

Your doctor may order blood tests, such as The BRCA gene test, Blood Marker Tests, and Complete blood count (CBC) to detect cancer activity in the body.

Treatment of Breast Cancer

What are the treatment options for breast cancer?

After being confirmed with breast cancer, your doctor will tell the appropriate treatment accordingly. Before making a decision on any treatment plan it is very important to understand the difference between clinical trials and standard treatment procedure, to keep yourself well informed.[1]

Surgery is the most common way of breast cancer management, in which the tumor is removed from the affected area. Surgeries of breast cancer include reconstruction, radical mastectomy, partial mastectomy and lumpectomy.

Another effective treatment for breast cancer is chemotherapy, in which various drugs are used to slow down the growth process of cancer cells and/or to completely destroy it.

Radiotherapy is a method to kill the cancer cells by using high energy rays. In this treatment the skin which is exposed to the rays is only affected.

Hormone therapy is another way of treating breast cancer in case the tumor carries receptors for the hormone. Hormone inhibitors or blockers are some drugs prescribed for the patients during the hormone therapy. In this treatment cancer cells are destroyed by prohibiting the supply of hormones.[9][10][11]

Targeted therapy can also be used to stop the growth of cancer cells, which also protects from other side effects.

Before undergoing any kind of cancer treatment you must always take care of yourself. Even during and after the treatment a great care is required in terms of cancer patients.

When your treatment is completed, regular check-ups are always recommended, as to check for any changes thereafter.

Prognosis of Breast Cancer

In women, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer. However, nowadays and with the help of improved treatments and screenings, early detection of disease is possible.

Early diagnosis can increase the survival rate of women diagnosed with breast cancer. However, nearly 1 in 20 (5%) women have metastatic cancer when they are first diagnosed with breast cancer.

There are many factors that influence treatment decisions. Some of the factors that affect the prognosis of breast cancer include:

1. Rate of breast cancer cell division. [12][13]
2. Shape and size of tumor
3. Genetic predisposition (brca1 and brca2).[14]
4. Tumor markers
5. The receptor of tumor, whether positive or negative
6. The existence of metastasis, such as metastatic breast cancer. If the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is reduced to 25%.

 

 

 

References

Verified by: Dr.Diab (February 24, 2018)

Citation: Dr.Diab. (February 24, 2018). Breast Cancer Awareness and Information. Medcoi Journal of Medicine, 31(2). urn:medcoi:article1128.