Breast Cancer - Causes, Signs And Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment And Prevention

Today, breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, is considered to be the final outcome of multiple environmental and hereditary factors. Breathing secondhand smoke increases breast cancer risk by 70% in younger, primarily pre-menopausal women.

A newly released study indicates a correlation between the drop in breast cancer and the drop in women taking HRT.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Breast tumors elicit so many fears, including those relating to surgery, death, loss of body image and loss of sexuality, however they more easily treated and often curable if the tumour is found early, therefore regular self examination and screening is essential. Breast cancer usually shows as a lump or thickening in the breast tissue, although most breast lumps are not cancerous.

Certain predisposing factors are clear.

Women at high risk are those who:

• Have a family history of breast cancer.
• Have long menstrual cycles, began menses early or menopause late.
• Have never been pregnant
• Were first pregnant after age 31.
• Have had unilateral breast cancer.
• Have endometrial or Ovarian cancer.
• Were exposed to low level ionizing radiation.
• Many other possible factors are still under investigation including, obesity, alcohol and environmental factors.

Those with lower risk include women who:

• Were pregnant before age 20.
• Have had multiple pregnancies.
• Are native American or Asian.

Breast carcinomas occurs more often in the left breast and in the upper quadrant.

Indications of breast cancer other than a lump may include changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous single-nipple discharge.

TYPES OF BREAST CANCER

When breast cancer cells invade the dermal lymphatics, small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast, its presentation can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain, swelling, warmth and redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange peel texture to the skin referred to as peau d’orange.

The most common pathologic types of breast cancer are invasive ductal carcinoma, malignant cancer in the breast’s ducts, and invasive lobular carcinoma, malignant cancer in the breast’s lobules.

Occasionally, breast cancer presents as metastatic disease, that is, cancer that has spread beyond the original organ. Bone or joint pains can sometimes be manifestations of metastatic breast cancer, as can jaundice or neurological symptoms.

TREATMENT

Much controversy still exists over treatment of breast cancer, options include; Surgery , chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, Hormonal therapies, Herceptin and complementary treatments.

The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery when the tumor is localized, with possible adjuvant hormonal therapy (with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor), chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy.

In February 2007, the MammaPrint test became the first breast cancer predictor to win formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration. This is a new gene test to help predict whether women with early-stage breast cancer will relapse in 5 or 10 years, this could help influence how aggressively the initial tumor is treated.

Interstitial laser thermotherapy (ILT) is an innovative method of treating breast cancer in a minimally invasive manner and without the need for surgical removal, and with the absence of any adverse effect on the health and survival of the patient during intermediate followup.

PREVENTION

Routine (annual) mammography of women older than age 40 or 50 is recommended by numerous organizations as a screening method to diagnose early breast cancer and has demonstrated a protective effect in multiple clinical trials.

Women with one or more first-degree relatives (mother, sister, daughter) with premenopausal breast cancer should begin screening at an earlier age.

PROGNOSIS

There are many prognostic factors associated with breast cancer: breast staging, tumour size and location, grade, whether disease is systemic (has metastasized, or traveled to other parts of the body), recurrence of the disease, and age of patient.

With advances in screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the death rate for breast cancer has declined by about 20% over the past decade, and research is ongoing to develop even more effective screening and treatment programs.  Information on  reconstructive breast surgery see the link.  If you are interested in breast surgery in Canada (including Toronto and Vancouver cosmetic surgeons) see the link.

How to do a Breast Cancer Self Examination

1. Stand in front of a mirror and look at each breast separately. Note the size, shape, colour, contour and direction of your breasts and nipples.
2. Raise your arms over your head and look at your breasts, as you turn slowly from side to side.
3. Press your hands on your hips and push your shoulders forward. Look at each breast separately.
4. Stand in front of a mirror and start BSE just below the collar bone.
5. Use the left hand for the right breast. Moisten the pads of your three middle fingertips with body lotion. Apply firm pressure and make small circles as you go back or forth (up or down, circular or spoke style) in a pattern covering all the breast area including the nipple. Note: inamed breast implants can mask certain lumps, be sure to check thoroughly.
6. Extend the examination to the breast tissue in the underarm.
7. Change your hand and repeat BSE on the opposite breast.
8. Lie down and raise one arm above your head. Examine your breasts as before, omitting the underarm
9. Change your arm and repeat BSE on the opposite breast.

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By: Dick Aronson Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com. Dick Aronson has a background of 35 years in pharmaceuticals and alternative medicines, software development and human resources. He has for a number of years now been retained by companies looking to expand or needing to restructure.

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