What You Should Know About Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death is only to lung cancer in 1985. A woman who lives in eight to 85 years to develop breast cancer at some point in their lives.
Currently there are over 2 million women living in the United States, which have been treated for breast cancer. More than 41,000 women die of this disease. The probability of dying of breast cancerapproximately 1-33 However, the mortality rate is to fall in breast cancer. This decline is probably due to the improvement of early diagnosis and treatment.
Breast cancer the disease is not just a woman. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,600 people develop the disease each year and about 400 have died from the disease.
Risk of breast cancer is higher among those who have a mother, aunt, sister or grandmother who had breast cancer earlier50 years of age. If only a mother or sister had breast cancer doubles the risk. After two first degree relatives, which increases the risk for diagnosis, up to five times the average.
Although no one knows exactly what causes breast cancer, sometimes the authors inherited a mutation in one of two genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes normally protect against the disease with the production of proteins that protect against abnormal cell growth, but also for women with the mutation,increase the risk of breast cancer in life can take up to 80 percent, compared to 13 percent of the total population. In fact, over 25 percent of women with breast cancer in the family disease.
For women without a family history of breast cancer, the risks are more difficult to identify. E 'known that the hormone estrogen can increase breast-feed, and many more factors – diet, obesity and alcohol consumption –the body's own estrogen.
Early symptoms
Early signs of breast cancer are:
– A piece of individual, normally, it stops and usually painless recognized.
– An area of skin on the chest and forearm is swollen and has an unusual appearance.
– Veins on the skin surface become more important on a breast.
– The affected breast nipple is inverted, develops a rash, changes in the structure of the skin, or a discharge other than breastMilk.
– Depression is an area of the surface of the breast.
Types and stages of breast cancer
There are many different types of breast cancer. Some are growing rapidly and unpredictable, while others grow slowly and steadily. Some are inspired by the estrogen in the body, due to the mutation in either of the previously mentioned genes – BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): generally divided into comedo (blackhead) inThe cut surface of the tumor demonstrates extrusion of dead and necrotic tumor cells as a blackhead, and not a blackhead. Ductal carcinoma in situ breast cancer at an early stage, which is confined to the inside of a pipeline system. The distinction between comedo and non comedo types is important because comedocarcinoma in situ generally behaves aggressively and may show areas of micro invasion through the ductal wall into surrounding tissue.
Invasive ductal: This is the most common form of breastCancer, that 78 percent of all malignancies. On mammography, these lesions can occur in two different forms – Stars (STAR)-like rounded) or well circumscribed (. The shape of a star changes generally have a worse prognosis.
Cancer: This tumor is composed of 15 percent of all cases of breast cancer. These lesions are usually well circumscribed and may be difficult to distinguish from fibroadenoma by mammography or ultrasound. With this type of breast cancer,prognostic indicators estrogen and progesterone receptor negative, 90 percent of the time. Marrow is typically a better prognosis than other types of breast cancer.
Penetration lobular: On behalf of 15 percent of breast cancers, these lesions are usually in the upper outer quadrant of the breast as a subtle thickening and are difficult to diagnose by mammography. Lobular penetration can contain both breasts (bilateral). Microscopically, these tumors show a linear arrangement of cells and grow around the ducts and lobules.
Tubular carcinoma: This is described as orderly or well-differentiated carcinoma of the breast. These changes represent about 2 percent of all cases of breast cancer. They have a good prognosis, with almost 95 percent survival rate at 10 years.
Mucinous Carcinoma: Represents the 1-2 per cent of breast carcinomas and has a favorable prognosis. These lesions are usually well circumscribed (rounded).
Inflammatory breastCancer: This is a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, which is usually due to changes in the skin of the breast including redness (erythema), thickening of the skin and the importance of hair follicles, evidence of a like orange peel. The diagnosis will be provided through a skin biopsy revealed the tumor in the lymphatic and vascular channels around 50 percent of the time.
The stages of breast cancer
The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma.Begins in the lining of the ducts. Another way, such as lobular carcinoma, arises in the lobules. If cancer is found, the pathologist can tell what kind of cancer it is – if you have started in a duct (ductal carcinoma) or lobules (lobular) and if it is invaded nearby tissue in the breast (invasive).
If cancer is found, specific laboratory tests of tissue is usually done to find out more about cancer. For example, hormones (estrogen and progesterone)Receptor tests can help determine whether the tumor can help in the growth hormones. If test results show that the hormone has no effect on tumor growth (a positive test result), the cancer that respond to hormonal therapy. This therapy increases the cancer cells of estrogen.
Further tests are sometimes done to predict whether the cancer, the progress is likely. For example, X-ray and other laboratory tests are done. Sometimes a sample of breast tissue isis enabled by a gene that, like the receptor for human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER-2 gene), which is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer are known to happen. Special tests of the bones, liver or lung are done, because breast cancer can spread in these areas.
A woman, the treatment options depend on a number of factors. These factors include age, menopausal status, her general health, size and location of the tumor and stage of cancer;the results of laboratory tests and the size of the breast. Some features of the tumor cells, for example, if they are dependent on growth hormones, is also considered.
In most cases, the most important factor in the phase of the disease. The stage is the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread. What follows is a brief description of the stages of breast cancer and the treatment usually used for each stage. Other treatments maysometimes the case.
Grade 0
Stage 0 is sometimes called noninvasive carcinoma or carcinoma in situ. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) refers to abnormal cells lining a lobule. These abnormal cells are often an invasive carcinoma. However, they are an indicator of an increased risk of breast cancer in both breasts. The treatment of LCIS is a drug called tamoxifen, which can reduce the risk of cancer of the breast cancer.A person who is interested can have the treatment, but the situation is monitored with regular checks. And sometimes the decision is made, surgery to remove both breasts to try to prevent cancer. In most cases, the removal of axillary lymph nodes is unnecessary.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) refers to abnormal cells in the lining of a canal. DCIS is also called intraductal carcinoma. Abnormal cells are not spread through the Channelpenetrate into the tissue surrounding the breast. However, women with DCIS are at increased risk of developing invasive breast cancer. Some women with DCIS have breast conservation surgery followed by radiotherapy. Alternatively, they may have a mastectomy to construct, with or without breast reconstruction (plastic surgery) for the breast. Axillary lymph nodes are usually removed. In addition, women with ductal carcinoma in situ may be helpful to talk with your doctor to tamoxifen reduces the risk of developinginvasive breast cancer.
Level I and II
Level I and Level II early stage breast cancer, in which the tumor has spread through the lobe or duct and crashed near the tissue.
Stage I means that the cancer has spread about an inch in width and not on the cells of breast cancer.
Stage II: one of the following options:
Breast cancer is less than 1 inch in diameter and cancerthe lymph nodes under the armpit.
Tumor) is 1 to 2 inches (with or without spread to lymph nodes under the armpit.
The tumor is larger than 2 cm, but not spread to lymph nodes in the armpit.
Treatment options for early breast cancer have breast conservation surgery followed by breast radiation and mastectomy, with or without reconstruction to build the case for the breast again. These approaches are equally effective inTreatment of early breast cancer. (Sometimes radiotherapy is given after mastectomy.)
The choice of breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy depends mostly on the size and location of the tumor, the size of the breast, some features of the tumor, and how the person feels about the conservation of the breast. With both approaches, the lymph nodes under the arm are usually removed.
Chemotherapy and / or hormonal therapy after primary treatment with surgery orSurgery and radiotherapy are recommended for Phase I and, most frequently breast cancer in stage II. This added treatment is called adjuvant therapy. Systemic therapy sometimes given before surgery to reduce the tumor as neoadjuvant therapy. This is given to try to destroy any remaining cancer cells to prevent cancer and again and again, go back, or, in the chest or elsewhere.
Level III
Phase III is also known as for advanced cancer. at this stage of breast cancer shows the following:
More than 2 cm in diameter and the cancer has spread to lymph nodes forearm.
The cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes.
The cancer spreads to lymph nodes near the breastbone or to other tissues near the breast.
Inflammatory breast cancer is a type of locally advanced breast cancer. In this type ofCancer, the breast looks red and swollen (or inflamed) because cancer cells block the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast.
Patients with stage III breast cancer are typically removed both the local treatment to destroy or stop the cancer of the breast and systemic treatment of a disease from spreading. The local treatment may be surgery and / or radiation therapy to the chest and forearm. The systemic treatment may be chemotherapy, hormonal therapy orboth. Systemic therapy may be given before local therapy to reduce the tumor or later to prevent the disease again in the chest or elsewhere.
Stage IV
Stage IV is metastatic cancer. 'S The cancer has spread beyond the breast and axillary lymph nodes in other parts of the body.
The treatments for stage IV chemotherapy to destroy breast cancer and / or hormonal therapy of cancer cells andDisease control. Patients may need surgery or radiotherapy for control of breast cancer. The radiation may also be useful to control tumors in other parts of the body.
Cancer recurrence
Relapse of cancer is the disease, despite initial treatment back. Although breast cancer seems to be completely removed or destroyed, the disease is often not recognized, because there was cancer somewhere in theBody after treatment.
Most relapses occur within the first 2 or 3 years after treatment of breast cancer, but may return several years later.
Cancer, returns only in the area of operations is called a local recurrence. If the disease goes into another part of the body is called the recurrence of metastatic breast cancer. The patient is a type of treatment or combination of treatments for recurrent cancer.
For more information, see"Nine Ways to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk" on this page.
Sources: National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control