Written by: Kimora Sellers, Emma Wang, Winnie Chen, Manuel Pereira, Sarah Reidwan, and Cindy Wu
Introduction:
Most of the breast lumps are benign and will not threaten life; however, there are some types of benign breast lumps that raise the risk for women getting breast cancer. Simultaneously due to the development and urbanization of current society, exposure to ionizing radiation such environmental factors increase the breast cancer risk. Additionally, the change of lifestyle also raises the risk of breast cancer.
Cause:
Breast cancer originates in the breast tissue and is the second most common cancer among women after skin cancer. It begins when breast cells mutate and uncontrolled growth begins occurring. Like other cancers it can invade the tissue surrounding the breast and travel throughout the body to form new tumors. When this occurs it is referred to as metastasis. Mutations may occur due to a variety of reasons, as doctors have not yet pinpointed an exact reason as to why breast cancer develops in women. Genetic mutations to certain genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 may contribute to the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Radiation can also result in genetic changes which results in the abnormal growth of cells. The current molecular classification divides breast cancer into 5 different groups.depending on where the cancer originated and where it first developed.
Effects:
Some breast cancer has no symptoms at an early stage. Therefore, it's vital to get regular checkups. Most patients discover tumors after they feel a breast lump.
The general effects of breast cancer include:
A painless breast lump
A newly inverted nipple
Change in the appearance of a breast
Abnormal nipple secretion :especially bloody discharge
Changes in breast skin: such as redness, swelling, or ulceration
Enlarged axillary lymph glands
Who's more at risk:
Ages: Risk of developing breast cancer will rise as ages increase. Adults older than 50 years old have a greater possibility of developing breast cancer.
Family History of Breast Cancer: If a woman who has a sister, daughter, mother, or any member in families have/ had breast cancer will raise the risk of developing breast cancer.
Races: People with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry background have a greater possibility of getting breast cancer.
Viruses: Genetic mutations impact the risk of breast cancer a lot; inherited changes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, raise the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer simultaneously.
Previous Treatment: Please be aware, women who had radiation therapy to breasts before their 30 are more at risk of breast cancer.
Period and Medicine: Irregular periods and taking oral contraceptives or birth control pills for long terms can raise the risk of breast cancer.
Breast Density: Having dense breasts is more likely to get breast cancer.
NOTICE: please be aware that men can also develop breast cancer.
Life Expectancy:
In terms of life expectancy for cancer, this rate is measured in 5-year relative survival which is the percentage of patients diagnosed with cancer after five years. For breast cancer, this rate comes down to many factors including age, race, advancement of treatment, size and location of the tumor, number of cancer-containing lymph nodes, and patient’s response to treatment. See the graph below for the estimation of the survival rates of breast cancer based on stage.
Localized: The cancer has only been located in the breast
Regional: The cancer has spread beyond the breast and into nearby lymph nodes
Distant: The cancer has spread to other body parts such as the lungs, liver, or bones.
Treatment:
There are five main types of treatment.
1. Surgery
There are two types of surgery. Breast-conserving surgery (removal of just the tumor) and a mastectomy (removal of the whole breast).
Breast-Conserving Surgery
The amount of breast tissue removed is dependent on a few factors.
The type of cancer
The size of the tumor
The location of the tumor
The amount of surrounding tissue that must be removed
The size of the patient's breasts
It is important to note that surgeons will remove a region of healthy tissue around the tumor and test it for the presence of cancer. If no cancer is detected, there is a lower likelihood of the cancer returning. However, if cancer cells are present, more tissue may need to be removed.
The patient will likely be offered radiation therapy prior to the breast-conserving surgery to remove any remaining cancer cells.
Mastectomy
All of the breast tissue, inclusive of the nipple will be removed. This can be followed by a breast reconstruction surgery that is done by either inserting a breast implant or using tissue from other parts of the body to construct a new breast.
However, if the cancer has spread to the patient's lymph nodes, further surgery to remove the lymph nodes under the arm may be required.
2. Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy makes use of controlled doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells. The radiation may be aimed at the whole of the remaining breast tissue, the chest wall, or the lymph nodes (located at the armpit), depending on the type of radiotherapy required.
3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the use of cytotoxic (anti-cancer) drugs to destroy cancer cells. Several different types of medication are used during chemotherapy simultaneously but the type and combination of medication depends on the type and spread of cancer. The process of chemotherapy takes place in cycles. There is typically a treatment cycle, followed by a rest period.
4. Hormone Therapy
Some breast cancers are stimulated by naturally occuring hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone. Hormone therapy is designed to lower the amounts of oestrogen or progesterone in the patient's body, or to stop their effects and is administered in tablet form or via injection. The type of hormone therapy is dependent on the stage and grade of cancer, the hormone that stimulates the cancer, the age of the patient, whether the patient has experienced menopause and the type of treatment the patient is currently undergoing.
5. Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapies involve drugs that alter the way cells function and help to stop the propagation of cancer. Some targeted therapies may be administered via a drip into a vein while others could be in the form of tablets.
Prevention:
We can prevent breast cancer and reduce the risk by living a healthy life. Here are some measures to prevent breast cancer:
Healthy weight: Keep your weight under check ! Make sure you are neither overweight or underweight. Being overweight can increase the chances of breast cancer especially after menopause.
Be Physically active: Research has found that women who exercise daily have less chances of breast cancer than women who don’t exercise. exercising is a simple yet effective way of preventing breast cancer.
Alcohol intake Alcohol intake matters! Alcohol must be taken in moderation because the more alcohol you take, the more is the risk .
No smoking ! : Smoking increases the chances of many types of cancers including breast cancer. So it is better to avoid smoking and if you do smoke quit as soon as possible.
Breastfeeding: It has been found that mothers who breastfeed their child for at least half a year have less chances of breast cancer. So it is advised for mothers to breastfeed their child as long as they can !
Oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapies should be doctor prescribed because there is evidence that it increases the chances by a small percentage. So, it’s better to avoid them.
Eat fruits and vegetables
If you are at high risk, talk to your doctor about taking drugs like tamoxifen and raloxifene because these drugs can reduce the chances of breast cancer. But like any other drugs these can have side effects too, so discuss them with your doctor.
Get regular checkups:
DOES DIET PLAY A ROLE IN PREVENTING BREAST CANCER ? Diet doesn't directly prevent it but can make your body healthy and reduce the chances of risk . Plant based foods , fish , citrus fruits , fermented foods , berries , kale , spinach etc can help !! Food additives , nitrates, caffeine ,animal - based proteins should be limited and avoided if possible |
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Citation:
(Cover Image Source: cctansurgery.com)
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