Overview
Breast cancer, a condition characterized by uncontrolled growth of breast cells, affects both men and women, though it is more prevalent in the latter. The most frequently diagnosed form is ductal carcinoma, which originates in the cells of the milk ducts.
Early signs of breast cancer often include a lump or thickened breast tissue. Other symptoms may encompass changes in breast size or shape, nipple discharge, lumps in the armpit, dimpling of the breast skin, a rash on the nipple, or changes in the appearance of the nipple. While most breast lumps are not cancerous, it is crucial to seek medical evaluation.
Type of Breast Cancer
Treatment for breast cancer typically combines surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapies. The treatment approach varies based on the type and stage of the cancer, as well as the patient’s overall health. Breast cancer is classified into several types:
1. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS): This non-invasive form involves abnormal cells only in the lining of the milk duct.
2. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC): This form begins in the milk ducts and then spreads to nearby breast tissue.
3. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC): This type starts in the milk-producing glands.
4. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC): This rapidly-growing cancer spreads to the skin and lymph vessels.
5. Metastatic Breast Cancer: This advanced stage spreads beyond the breast.
6. Triple Negative Breast Cancer: This type lacks receptors targeted by common treatments.
7. Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS): This is an abnormal cell growth that may progress to invasive cancer.
Each type of breast cancer has its own symptoms and treatment approach, and healthcare consultation is essential for proper management.
Breast Cancer Incidence Rates
Globally, breast cancer is the most common cancer, with over 2.26 million new cases in women in 2020, leading to 685,000 deaths. Survival rates vary, with a 99% five-year relative survival for localized cases, dropping to 30% for distant-stage disease. In the UK, survival rates are high, with the majority living beyond one year after diagnosis and significant proportions surviving for five or ten years.
In Asia, breast cancer represents a significant health issue, accounting for nearly half of global cases in 2020. The region sees varied incidence rates, from Western Asia’s high rates to lower rates in Eastern Asia. Asian/Pacific Islander women have an 11% lifetime risk, although overall rates in Asian women are less than those in other ethnicities but are on the rise. These rates diverge widely due to healthcare access, early detection, and treatment options.
Stages of Breast Cancer: Breast cancer progresses through several stages, from Stage 0 to Stage IV. The American Joint Committee on Cancer’s TNM system is commonly used for staging:
· Stage 0: Known as carcinoma in situ, this stage represents a non-invasive form of the disease.
· Stage I-III: These stages indicate increasing degrees of local and regional spread of the cancer.
· Stage IV: This stage signifies that the cancer has metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body.
The stage of the cancer can be determined either pathologically, based on tissue examination during surgery, or clinically, based on physical exams, biopsies, and imaging tests, particularly when immediate surgery is not an option.
Determining the Stage of Breast Cancer: The TNM system determines the stage of breast cancer using seven key factors:
· The size of the tumor (T)
· Whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes (N)
· Whether the cancer has metastasized (M)
· The status of the estrogen receptor (ER)
· The status of the progesterone receptor (PR)
· The status of the HER2 protein
· The grade of the cancer (G)
The tumor categories, ranging from T0 to T4, reflect the size and local extension of the tumor. TX indicates that the tumor cannot be determined, T0 means there is no detectable primary tumor, and T1 to T4 represent increasing tumor size and extent.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer: Breast cancer can present a variety of symptoms. The most common symptom is a new lump or mass in the breast or armpit. Other symptoms can include changes in the skin of the breast, pain in the breast, an inverted nipple, or unusual discharge from the nipple. Early warning signs of breast cancer include:
· A persistent lump in the breast or underarm
· Swelling in the armpit or near the collarbone
· Pain or tenderness in the breast
· A flattened or indented area on the breast
· Changes in the size, contour, texture, or temperature of the breast
· Changes in the nipple
· Unusual discharge from the nipple
Causes of Breast Cancer: The exact causes of breast cancer are not fully understood. However, several risk factors have been associated with the disease:
· Aging
· Weight gain after menopause
· Lack of physical activity
· Alcohol consumption
· Tobacco use
· A previous diagnosis of breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
· The presence of abnormal cells in a breast biopsy
· High breast density
· A family history of breast cancer
· Genetic mutations, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2
It’s important to note that having one or more risk factors does not guarantee that a person will develop breast cancer. The impact of each risk factor can vary, and most women with risk factors do not develop the disease.
Diagnosis and Test
1. Breast Exam: This is a physical examination where the doctor checks both breasts and lymph nodes in the armpit for any lumps or other abnormalities.
2. Mammogram: This is an X-ray of the breast. Mammograms are commonly used to screen for breast cancer.
3. Breast Ultrasound: This imaging method uses sound waves to produce images of structures deep within the body. It may be used to determine whether a new breast lump is a solid mass or a fluid-filled cyst.
4. Biopsy: This is the only definitive way to make a diagnosis of breast cancer. During a biopsy, your doctor uses a specialized needle device guided by X-ray or another imaging test to extract a core of tissue from the suspicious area.
5. Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An MRI machine uses a magnet and radio waves to create pictures of the interior of your breast.
6. Hormone Receptor Test: This test determines whether the cancer cells have hormone receptors. If the cancer cells have these receptors, hormones could promote the growth of the cancer.
7. HER2/neu Test: This test determines whether the cancer cells have a higher than normal level of the HER2 protein. If they do, the cancer is called HER2-positive.
8. Genomic Testing: This test looks at the patterns of gene expression in the tumor cells and can provide additional information about prognosis and likely benefit from chemotherapy.
9. Blood Tests: These tests, including a complete blood count (CBC) and breast cancer marker blood tests, can help monitor treatment progress.
These tests provide valuable information that helps doctors diagnose breast cancer, determine its stage, and decide on the most effective treatment approach.
Treatment
Breast Cancer Treatment: The treatment of breast cancer typically involves a combination of several strategies, each tailored to the specific characteristics of the cancer:
1. Surgery: This is often the first line of treatment for breast cancer. The type of surgery performed depends on the specific characteristics of the cancer, and may include lumpectomy, mastectomy, or lymph node removal.
2. Radiation Therapy: This treatment uses high-energy rays, such as X-rays, to destroy cancer cells. It may be used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.
3. Chemotherapy: This involves the use of powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be given before surgery to shrink tumors, or after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.
4. Hormone Therapy: Some types of breast cancer are sensitive to hormones. Hormone therapy works by blocking cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
5. Targeted Therapy: This involves the use of drugs that specifically target certain characteristics of cancer cells, such as a protein that allows the cancer cells to grow in a rapid or abnormal way.
Breast Cancer Prognosis:
1. Survival Rates: The prognosis for breast cancer can vary greatly. Key influencing factors include the stage of the cancer at diagnosis, the type of cancer, and the patient’s overall health.
2. 5-Year Relative Survival Rate: This rate is 90%, which means that 90 out of 100 women are alive 5 years after they’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer.
3. 10-Year Relative Survival Rate: The 10-year breast cancer relative survival rate is 84%.
4. Early-Stage Diagnosis: The survival rate can be higher for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
These statistics provide a general idea of the prognosis for breast cancer. However, every individual’s situation is unique, and these numbers may not reflect their specific circumstance. It’s important to have detailed discussions with the healthcare team to understand the prognosis and treatment options.
Supportive
Supportive Care for Breast Cancer: Supportive care is an essential part of cancer treatment. It includes a wide range of services designed to manage the physical and emotional side effects of cancer treatment, and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Supportive care may include pain management, nutritional counseling, emotional and psychological support, physical therapy, and more. It may also involve ongoing monitoring and follow-up care to detect any recurrence of the cancer, manage long-term side effects of treatment, and address any other health issues that arise.
Breast cancer, a condition characterized by uncontrolled growth of breast cells, affects both men and women, though it is more prevalent in the latter. The most frequently diagnosed form is ductal carcinoma, which originates in the cells of the milk ducts.
Early signs of breast cancer often include a lump or thickened breast tissue. Other symptoms may encompass changes in breast size or shape, nipple discharge, lumps in the armpit, dimpling of the breast skin, a rash on the nipple, or changes in the appearance of the nipple. While most breast lumps are not cancerous, it is crucial to seek medical evaluation.
Type of Breast Cancer
Treatment for breast cancer typically combines surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapies. The treatment approach varies based on the type and stage of the cancer, as well as the patient’s overall health. Breast cancer is classified into several types:
1. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS): This non-invasive form involves abnormal cells only in the lining of the milk duct.
2. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC): This form begins in the milk ducts and then spreads to nearby breast tissue.
3. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC): This type starts in the milk-producing glands.
4. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC): This rapidly-growing cancer spreads to the skin and lymph vessels.
5. Metastatic Breast Cancer: This advanced stage spreads beyond the breast.
6. Triple Negative Breast Cancer: This type lacks receptors targeted by common treatments.
7. Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS): This is an abnormal cell growth that may progress to invasive cancer.
Each type of breast cancer has its own symptoms and treatment approach, and healthcare consultation is essential for proper management.
Breast Cancer Incidence Rates
Globally, breast cancer is the most common cancer, with over 2.26 million new cases in women in 2020, leading to 685,000 deaths. Survival rates vary, with a 99% five-year relative survival for localized cases, dropping to 30% for distant-stage disease. In the UK, survival rates are high, with the majority living beyond one year after diagnosis and significant proportions surviving for five or ten years.
In Asia, breast cancer represents a significant health issue, accounting for nearly half of global cases in 2020. The region sees varied incidence rates, from Western Asia’s high rates to lower rates in Eastern Asia. Asian/Pacific Islander women have an 11% lifetime risk, although overall rates in Asian women are less than those in other ethnicities but are on the rise. These rates diverge widely due to healthcare access, early detection, and treatment options.
Stages of Breast Cancer: Breast cancer progresses through several stages, from Stage 0 to Stage IV. The American Joint Committee on Cancer’s TNM system is commonly used for staging:
· Stage 0: Known as carcinoma in situ, this stage represents a non-invasive form of the disease.
· Stage I-III: These stages indicate increasing degrees of local and regional spread of the cancer.
· Stage IV: This stage signifies that the cancer has metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body.
The stage of the cancer can be determined either pathologically, based on tissue examination during surgery, or clinically, based on physical exams, biopsies, and imaging tests, particularly when immediate surgery is not an option.
Determining the Stage of Breast Cancer: The TNM system determines the stage of breast cancer using seven key factors:
· The size of the tumor (T)
· Whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes (N)
· Whether the cancer has metastasized (M)
· The status of the estrogen receptor (ER)
· The status of the progesterone receptor (PR)
· The status of the HER2 protein
· The grade of the cancer (G)
The tumor categories, ranging from T0 to T4, reflect the size and local extension of the tumor. TX indicates that the tumor cannot be determined, T0 means there is no detectable primary tumor, and T1 to T4 represent increasing tumor size and extent.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer: Breast cancer can present a variety of symptoms. The most common symptom is a new lump or mass in the breast or armpit. Other symptoms can include changes in the skin of the breast, pain in the breast, an inverted nipple, or unusual discharge from the nipple. Early warning signs of breast cancer include:
· A persistent lump in the breast or underarm
· Swelling in the armpit or near the collarbone
· Pain or tenderness in the breast
· A flattened or indented area on the breast
· Changes in the size, contour, texture, or temperature of the breast
· Changes in the nipple
· Unusual discharge from the nipple
Causes of Breast Cancer: The exact causes of breast cancer are not fully understood. However, several risk factors have been associated with the disease:
· Aging
· Weight gain after menopause
· Lack of physical activity
· Alcohol consumption
· Tobacco use
· A previous diagnosis of breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
· The presence of abnormal cells in a breast biopsy
· High breast density
· A family history of breast cancer
· Genetic mutations, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2
It’s important to note that having one or more risk factors does not guarantee that a person will develop breast cancer. The impact of each risk factor can vary, and most women with risk factors do not develop the disease.
Diagnosis and Test
1. Breast Exam: This is a physical examination where the doctor checks both breasts and lymph nodes in the armpit for any lumps or other abnormalities.
2. Mammogram: This is an X-ray of the breast. Mammograms are commonly used to screen for breast cancer.
3. Breast Ultrasound: This imaging method uses sound waves to produce images of structures deep within the body. It may be used to determine whether a new breast lump is a solid mass or a fluid-filled cyst.
4. Biopsy: This is the only definitive way to make a diagnosis of breast cancer. During a biopsy, your doctor uses a specialized needle device guided by X-ray or another imaging test to extract a core of tissue from the suspicious area.
5. Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An MRI machine uses a magnet and radio waves to create pictures of the interior of your breast.
6. Hormone Receptor Test: This test determines whether the cancer cells have hormone receptors. If the cancer cells have these receptors, hormones could promote the growth of the cancer.
7. HER2/neu Test: This test determines whether the cancer cells have a higher than normal level of the HER2 protein. If they do, the cancer is called HER2-positive.
8. Genomic Testing: This test looks at the patterns of gene expression in the tumor cells and can provide additional information about prognosis and likely benefit from chemotherapy.
9. Blood Tests: These tests, including a complete blood count (CBC) and breast cancer marker blood tests, can help monitor treatment progress.
These tests provide valuable information that helps doctors diagnose breast cancer, determine its stage, and decide on the most effective treatment approach.
Treatment
Breast Cancer Treatment: The treatment of breast cancer typically involves a combination of several strategies, each tailored to the specific characteristics of the cancer:
1. Surgery: This is often the first line of treatment for breast cancer. The type of surgery performed depends on the specific characteristics of the cancer, and may include lumpectomy, mastectomy, or lymph node removal.
2. Radiation Therapy: This treatment uses high-energy rays, such as X-rays, to destroy cancer cells. It may be used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.
3. Chemotherapy: This involves the use of powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be given before surgery to shrink tumors, or after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.
4. Hormone Therapy: Some types of breast cancer are sensitive to hormones. Hormone therapy works by blocking cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
5. Targeted Therapy: This involves the use of drugs that specifically target certain characteristics of cancer cells, such as a protein that allows the cancer cells to grow in a rapid or abnormal way.
Breast Cancer Prognosis:
1. Survival Rates: The prognosis for breast cancer can vary greatly. Key influencing factors include the stage of the cancer at diagnosis, the type of cancer, and the patient’s overall health.
2. 5-Year Relative Survival Rate: This rate is 90%, which means that 90 out of 100 women are alive 5 years after they’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer.
3. 10-Year Relative Survival Rate: The 10-year breast cancer relative survival rate is 84%.
4. Early-Stage Diagnosis: The survival rate can be higher for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
These statistics provide a general idea of the prognosis for breast cancer. However, every individual’s situation is unique, and these numbers may not reflect their specific circumstance. It’s important to have detailed discussions with the healthcare team to understand the prognosis and treatment options.
Supportive
Supportive Care for Breast Cancer: Supportive care is an essential part of cancer treatment. It includes a wide range of services designed to manage the physical and emotional side effects of cancer treatment, and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Supportive care may include pain management, nutritional counseling, emotional and psychological support, physical therapy, and more. It may also involve ongoing monitoring and follow-up care to detect any recurrence of the cancer, manage long-term side effects of treatment, and address any other health issues that arise.
