Things you need to know about Breast Cancer
As the name suggests, cancer that develops in the cells of the breast is called breast cancer (tumour). It is one of the most commonly occurring cancers in women. Over the period of last few years, advanced medical facilities have helped in early detection and treatment of breast cancer, overall reducing breast cancer related deaths.
Breast cysts are non cancerous lumps found in one or both the breasts. They are common and occur naturally due to changes in breast with aging and hormonal changes.
Doctors say, breast cancer occurs due to rapid, uncontrolled cell division in cells. Based on the tissues they affect, breast cancer can be:
Ductal carcinoma: cancer of milk producing ducts
Lobular carcinoma: cancer of gland tissue
Invasive breast carcinoma: When the above mentioned breast carcinoma spreads to surrounding tissues, they are called as invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma.
Metastatic breast cancer: Breast cancer may spread through blood or lymph to distant organs, this process is called as Metastasis. Metastatic breast cancer may spread to organs such as bones, lungs, liver, heart, and brain.
Male breast cancer: In rare cases, breast cancer may be diagnosed in men. Male breast cancer is usually as a result of certain medicines or abnormal hormone (estrogen) levels or strong family history of breast cancer.
Other less common types of breast cancer include medullary carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma, papillary carcinoma, inflammatory carcinoma, and phyllode tumors.
Causes of breast cancer may be:
Some commonly seen signs and symptoms of breast cancer are:
In case you observe any of the above symptoms or have a doubt, visit your doctor immediately. Your doctor may refer you to an oncologist, if required.
Presence of some factors may increase the risk of breast cancer. Some of such factors are:
Breast cancer awareness can save many lives. There are several aspects of life that we can control to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Some of the precautions are listed below:
Like other cancers, pathophysiology of breast cancer progresses through 4 stages. Sooner the diagnosis, better is the treatment approach and faster is the recovery.
Based on the tumor location, involvement in the lymph nodes and spreading, TNM (tumor, node, metastasis) staging of tumor is performed. By staging the cancer, your doctor gets a better idea as to –
Breast cancer may or not involve hormonal involvement – estrogen, progesterone, and HER2. Based on the status of hormones and TNM, doctor diagnoses breast cancer stages either as:
Stage 0 – Cancer at this stage is still at the origin of DNA error.
Stage 1 – Here, the cancer is confined to a limited area.
Stage 2 – In stage 2, breast cancer has begun to grow and spread through lymph nodes.
The treatment usually involves surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (treatment after surgery aimed at trying to destroy any remaining cancer cells with or without radiation therapy).
Stage 3 – Stage 3A cancer marks the spread of cancer into the lymph nodes, the gateway to move into different parts of the body. Through stage 3B and 3C, the cancer progressively spreads through more number of lymph nodes and invades the nearby tissues but not far away organs. Treatment options are similar to that of stage 2.
Stage 4 – At this stage, cancer has spread to at least one distant part of the body – such as liver, lungs. The last stage 4B marks the spread of cancer into more than one part of the body.
Once a person is diagnosed with cancer, the immediate question that comes to mind is, “what are my chances of survival?”
Survival rate is an estimate that can guide you if you can live through a few years. The percentage of survival rates indicate how many people have lived at least so far after diagnosis. For example, a 5-year survival rate of 90% indicates 9 in 10 cancer patients lived for a minimum 5 years after being diagnosed.
5-year survival rates for brest cancer :
| 5-year survival rate | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 |
| Breast Cancer | 100% | 93% | 72% | 22% |
As mentioned before, the survival rate is just an estimate and applies only in general circumstances. Discuss with your doctor to better understand your situation and to receive individualized prognosis.
There have been exceptions of people living beyond these estimated years with prompt treatment, care and support.
In case of any sign or symptom, visit your doctor immediately, who may refer you to an oncologist, if required. The oncologist can diagnose breast cancer by:
If required, your oncologist may also order additional tests or procedures.
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The treatment options for breast cancer are based on the type and stage of breast cancer and other factors like overall health, age, and sensitivity to certain medications. The treatment options include conservative management and surgery, or a combination of both.
The conservative approaches include:
Surgical approach for breast cancer depends on the location and stage of breast cancer, as well as the risk factors in a particular patient. The oncologist/oncosurgeon will suggest the best approach, which includes:
To know more about breast cancer and its treatment, you can request for a call back and our cancer specialist will call you and answer all your queries.