Overview

Breast cancer is the most widespread cause of cancer in women and the second leading reason behind cancer deaths. Mostly, the cancer is detected by a deviation present in the mammogram, a lump or some variation in the breast tissue consistency. An increased awareness of breast cancer has led to an early detection of cancer and better chances of survival. Studies have pointed towards the genetic and hormonal factors as the primary risk factors for breast cancer. Breast cancer treatment depends upon the stages of cancer and certain other factors. The treatment options for breast cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy.

Symptoms of breast cancer

The common symptoms of breast cancer are:

• There is a lump or thickening in or near the breast. It may be present in the underarm area. The nipples become sore.
• There is a change in appearance of breast and/or nipple. The size and shape may change or the nipple gets turned inward into the breast.
• The skin of the breast, areola or nipple might become scaly, red, or inflamed. It might have creases or trenches just like an orange.
• A fluid discharge from nipple points towards breast cancer.
  Causes and Risk factors for breast cancer

The particular reason behind breast cancer is not known. Studies predict that women with some risk factors have more probability of developing breast cancer. The risk factors for breast cancer are:

• Age: The probability of having breast cancer increases with age. The problem occurs after age of 60.
• Breast cancer history: A woman with breast cancer in one breast has higher risk of cancer in her other breast.
• Family history: The risk of breast cancer is high with a female if her mother, sister, or daughter has breast cancer. A case of breast cancer among relatives also increases the chances of ailment.
• Gene changes: Studies show that modifications in some genes enhance the risk of breast cancer. Some of them are BRCA1 and BRCA2
• Reproductive and menstrual history:
  • If a woman has her first child at a late age, she is at an increased risk of breast cancer.
  • Women with menstrual periods prior to age of 12 have a higher risk.
  • Women who had menopause after age of 55 have a higher risk of breast cancer.
  • Women with no children are more vulnerable to breast cancer.
  • Women taking menopausal hormone therapy with estrogen as well as progestin have a higher risk of breast cancer.
• Radiation therapy: Women who had radiation therapy to the chest prior to age of 30 have an increased risk of breast cancer.
• DES (diethylstilbestrol): Women who took DES during pregnancy have higher risk of breast cancer.
• Obesity after menopause: The risk of breast cancer after menopause is more in obese women.
• Low physical activity: Women with lack of physical activity have higher risk of breast cancer.
• Drinking alcohol: Alcohol abuse augments the risk of breast cancer.

Diagnosis of breast cancer

If you have certain symptoms or screening test indicates cancer, your doctor must check out for cancer or some other cause. The diagnosis involve

Physical breast exam

Your doctor checks each breast for lumps and in case you have a lump, your health care physician will find its size and shape. The doctor will look for the movement of the lump. Benign lumps are often soft and smooth while lumps associated with cancer are hard and difficult to move.

Diagnostic mammogram

Diagnostic mammograms are the x-ray photographs of the breast. They provide proper, comprehensive pictures of regions that appear irregular on a screening mammogram. They aid in detecting odd breast variations like a lump, soreness, nipple discharge, alteration in breast size or shape. They concentrate on a particular area of the breast.

Ultrasound - The doctor observes ultrasound photographs of the breast on a monitor. The pictures depict the lump’s structure and whether it has any fluid or is solid. A solid mass is cancer while if it is fluid-filled, it is a cyst. Cyst is not cancer. This test is used along with a mammogram.

Magnetic resonance imaging - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to take thorough images of the breast tissue. MRI might be used with a mammogram.

Biopsy - Biopsy involves removal of a tissue from the breast and checks it for cancer. The tissue is removed from suspicious regions of breast. Certain imaging procedures are used to see the region and take away the tissue. The procedures involve ultrasound-directed, confined, or stereotactic biopsy.
The tissue removal is done in different ways:

• Fine-needle aspiration: The doctor makes use of a thin needle to take out fluid from a breast lump. Then a lab test checks the cell to check for cancer through a microscope.
• Core biopsy: The breast tissue is removed with a thick needle and a pathologist tests for cancer cells.
• Surgical biopsy: Your surgeon removes a sample of tissue. A pathologist checks the tissue for cancer cells. An incision biopsy takes a part of a lump while an excision biopsy takes out the complete lump.

The cancer cells tell the type of cancer and the most common type is ductal carcinoma. Here abnormal cells are present in the lining of the ducts. In the Lobular carcinoma, abnormal cells are present in the lobules.

Breast self-exam

You can do breast self-examination to look for any changes in your breasts. The changes in your breast can happen due to aging, your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, hormones or menopause. You must see your doctor in case you find any strange changes in your breasts. Though self-examination cannot be used in place of regular screening mammograms but they can be a step forward in early detection of cancer

Treatment methods

Women with breast cancer have many treatment choices. They comprise of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and biological therapy. At times, combinations of these treatments are given.

The cancer treatment is local therapy or systemic therapy:

• Local therapy: The local treatments include surgery and radiation therapy. They eradicate or wipe out cancer in the breast. However, if breast cancer reaches other body parts, the local therapy is needed to manage the disease in particular regions.
• Systemic therapy: The systematic therapy includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapy. The therapy mechanism is used to move into blood and control cancer in the body. The treatments of systemic therapy are used to contract the tumor size prior to surgery. Some types of systemic therapy are used to prevent the recurrence of cancer after surgery.
  Surgery

The most common treatment for breast cancer is surgery. The surgery is of many types like:

• Breast-sparing surgery: It is an operation to eradicate the cancer and not the breast. It is also known as breast conserving surgery, segmental mastectomy, lumpectomy, and partial mastectomy. Here the surgeon removes the whole lump and the underarm lymph nodes. After this surgery, women receive a radiation therapy.
• Mastectomy: A surgery to completely remove the breast is mastectomy. The surgeon also takes out lymph nodes under the arm. Certain women get radiation therapy.
  Another common method is Senitel lymph node biopsy used for checking for cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Here only the affected lymph nodes are removed and they cause lesser side effects.

Complementary and alternative medicine

Generally, the approach of complementary and alternative treatment is used along with the normal treatment of breast cancer. Acupuncture, vitamins, herbal products, massage therapy, special diets, meditation, and healing techniques are some kinds of alternative approaches.

Diet and physical activity

The women with this ailment must take proper care of themselves. It involves eating well balanced diet and remaining active. Proper type and amount of calories are essential for sustaining a good weight. Proper amount of protein are needed. The side effects of treatment are poor appetite, vomiting and mouth problems. They make you uncomfortable and you don’t feel like eating anything. Your health care provider will help you to deal with these kinds of situations. Adequate exercise can help you to stay active. Walking, yoga and swimming make you physically strong and make you energetic. A good exercise routine can make the treatment simple to manage and help in relieving stress.