Breast Cancer-stay aware

Breast Cancer-stay aware:Breast cancer occurs when there is an alteration of cellular growth and production in the breasts that can affect and spread to other organs of the body. Breast cancer can evolve in breast lobules, ducts, fatty tissues, or fibrous connective tissue.

Types of Breast Cancer

Here are some breast cancer types:

• Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS): a non-invasive type of breast cancer and not life-threatening but requires treatment. Cancer has started inside the milk ducts but has not affected adjacent breast tissues.
• Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS): cancer cells developed in the breast lobules (glands that produce milk) but have not spread on surrounding tissues.
• Invasive ductal carcinoma or infiltrating ductal carcinoma: cancer developed in milk ducts and has invaded surrounding breast tissues, and is the most common type of breast cancer.
• Invasive lobular carcinoma or infiltrating lobular carcinoma: cancer that is formed in the breast lobule, where milk is produced and has spread to adjacent breast tissues.
• Inflammatory breast cancer: a rare and aggressive type of breast cancer; it starts with redness and swelling; it spreads rapidly within a few hours to a few days. Cancer cells obstruct lymph nodes in the breast, and lymphatic vessels are unable to drain properly causing imminent swelling and redness.
• Triple-negative breast cancer: considered a more aggressive type of breast cancer and has a poorer prognosis; it lacks estrogen and progesterone receptors and does not have excess HER2 proteins.
• Paget’s disease of the nipple: a rare type of breast cancer; cancer cells affect the ducts near the nipples and disperse on nipple surface and areola causing the nipple surface to have dark circles, scaling, redness, irritation, and itchiness.

Breast Cancer Staging

• Stage 0: cancer cells are limited in the breast ducts and have not invaded adjacent tissues; non-invasive type of cancer.
• Stage 1:
  • Stage 1A: primary tumor <2 centimeters and has not spread to lymph nodes
  • Stage 1B: has reached lymph nodes; with or without the presence of breast tumor, tumor size <2 cm
• Stage 2:
  • Stage 2A: tumor size 2 cm and affected 1-3 adjacent lymph nodes; or tumor size 2-5cm and no lymph node affected
  • Stage2B: tumor size 2-5cm and affected 1-3 axillary lymph nodes; or >5cm and no lymph node affected
• Stage 3:
  • Stage 3A: proliferated 4-9 axillary lymph nodes, or has huge internal mammary lymph nodes, primary tumor size can be varied
  • Stage 3B: the tumor has reached the chest wall or skin; with or without lymph node invasion, can affect up to 9 lymph nodes; has not affected other parts of the body
  • Stage 3C: affected >10 axillary lymph nodes, near the collarbone, or the internal mammary nodes, has not affected other parts of the body
• Stage 4: tumor can be any size; cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes and body organs such as bones, brain, lungs, and liver; breast cancer metastasis
• Recurrent: cancer cells have reappeared after the treatment; described as local, regional, or distant.

Breast cancer in males

The occurrence of breast cancer in males is rare. It commonly affects older men but can also develop in younger men. When breast cancer is detected and treated at an early stage, it can be cured.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

Most breast cancer symptoms cannot be identified or felt in their early stages. There are various presentations of breast cancer symptoms and here are some breast cancer signs:

• Visible lump in the breast or thickening of tissues that have appeared recently
• Inverted nipples, which is not observed in the previous appearance
• Bloody discharge from the nipples or any discharge except breast milk
• Swelling or redness on any parts of the breast
• Dimpled skin on the breast
• Changes of skin texture – peeling, flaking, or scaling of breast skin
• Pain on breasts
• Swelling of lymph nodes on the breast area

When you have any of these breast cancer signs, have yourself checked by a doctor.

Who are at risk of developing breast cancer?

Breast cancer awareness is very important and knowing risks for cancer development is one way we can stop it.

• Age: as age increases, a person is at high risk of developing cancer
• Female gender: more common in women
• Family history: if you have an immediate family member diagnosed with breast cancer, you are at high risk of having breast cancer
• Menstruation: starting your menstruation <12 years old are at risk of cancer
• Menopausal: starting menopausal at an older age
• Previous history: history of breast cancer or any breast problems such as lobular carcinoma in situ or atypical hyperplasia
• Exposure to radiation
• Obesity
• Never been pregnant
• First child after 30 years old
• Postmenopausal hormone therapy

Book an appointment with Oncology experts at Oncoplus Cancer care.

Diagnosis

There are several ways on how to detect a tumor. Here are some methods to diagnose breast cancer:

• Breast Exam: the doctor examines for any unusual growth or lumps on the breasts
• Imaging tests: to detect any lumps or abnormal growths, or differentiate a solid mass from a fluid-filled cyst; includes mammogram, ultrasound, MRI- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Biopsy: removes a sample of breast tissue and sent to the laboratory for analysis

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Treatment

Can blood cancer be treated? There are various blood cancer treatments that are used depending on the type of cancer in the blood and its severity.

• Surgery
  • Lumpectomy: done to stop the spread of cancer cells by removal of the tumor and including healthy tissues surrounding the tumor.
  • Mastectomy: involves the removal of the entire breast including the lobules, ducts, fatty tissue, some skin, nipple, and areola.
    Types of mastectomy:
    • Sentinel node biopsy
    • Axillary lymph node dissection
    • Reconstruction
• Radiation therapy: kills cancer cells by directing the tumor with a controlled dose of radiation
• Chemotherapy: kills cancer cells; can be used as cytotoxic chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy
• Hormone blocking therapy: used to stop hormone-sensitive breast cancers from recurring
• Targeted therapy drugs: used to invade specific abnormalities within cancer cells, such as the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)

Book an appointment with the Best Cancer Specialist at Oncoplus Hospital.