Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include a lump in the breast, a rash, discharge from the nipple or pain in the breast area. Read more @ https://www.oddwayinternational.com/blog
3. Introduction
Cancer begins when healthy cells in the breast change
and grow out of control, forming a mass or sheet of
cells called a tumor. A tumor can be cancerous or
benign. A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it
can grow and spread to other parts of the body. A
benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not
spread.
Breast cancer spreads when cancer grows into other
parts of the body or when breast cancer cells move to
other parts of the body through the blood vessels
and/or lymph vessels. This is called metastasis.
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4. This guide covers early-stage and locally advanced
breast cancer, which includes stages I, II, and III. The
stage of breast cancer describes where the cancer is
located, how much cancer has grown, and if or where it
has spread.
Although breast cancer most commonly spreads to
nearby lymph nodes, it can also spread further through
the body to areas such as the bones, lungs, liver, and
brain. This is called metastatic or stage IV breast
cancer. For more information on this disease.
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5. Types of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer can be invasive or noninvasive. Invasive
breast cancer is cancer that spreads into surrounding
tissues. Noninvasive breast cancer does not go beyond
the milk ducts or lobules in the breast. Most breast
cancers start in the ducts or lobes and are called ductal
carcinoma or lobular carcinoma:
If breast cancer comes back after initial treatment, it
can recur locally, meaning in the breast and/or regional
lymph nodes. It can also recur elsewhere in the body,
called a distant recurrence or metastatic recurrence.
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6. Ductal carcinoma: - These cancers starts in the cells
lining the milk ducts and make up the majority of breast
cancers.
Lobular carcinoma: - This is cancer that starts in the
lobules.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This is cancer that is
located only in the duct.
Invasive or infiltrating ductal carcinoma. This is
cancer that has spread outside of the duct.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). LCIS is located only
in the lobules. LCIS is not considered cancer.
However, LCIS is a risk factor for developing invasive
breast cancer in both breasts (see the Risk Factors
and Prevention section for more information.)
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7. Less common types of breast cancer include:
Medullary
Mucinous
Tubular
Metaplastic
Papillary breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer is a faster-growing type
of cancer that accounts for about 1% to 5% of all
breast cancers.
Paget’s disease is a type of cancer that begins in the
ducts of the nipple. Although it is usually in situ, it can
also be an invasive cancer.
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8. Breast Cancer Subtypes
Breast cancer is not a single disease, even among the
same type of breast cancer. There are 3 main subtypes of
breast cancer that are determined by doing specific tests
on a sample of the tumor. These tests will help your
doctor learn more about your cancer and recommend
the most effective treatment plan.
Testing the tumor sample can find out if the cancer is:
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9. Hormone receptor-positive:- Breast cancers expressing
estrogen receptors (ER) and/or progesterone receptors (PR)
are called “hormone receptor-positive.” These receptors are
proteins found in and on cells. Tumors that have estrogen
receptors are called “ER-positive.” Tumors that have
progesterone receptors are called “PR-positive.” Only 1 of
these receptors needs to be positive for a cancer to be called
hormone receptor positive. This type of cancer may depend
on the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone to grow.
Hormone receptor-positive cancers can occur at any age, bu
may be more frequent in women who have gone through
menopause. About 60% to 75% of breast cancers have
estrogen and/or progesterone receptors. Cancers without
these receptors are called “hormone receptor-negative.”
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10. HER2-positive:- About 15% to 20% of breast cancers
depend on the gene called human epidermal growth
factor receptor 2 (HER2) to grow. These cancers are called
“HER2-positive” and have many copies of the HER2 gene
or high levels of the HER2 protein. These proteins are also
called “receptors.” The HER2 gene makes the HER2
protein, which is found on the cancer cells and is
important for tumor cell growth. HER2-positive breast
cancers grow more quickly. They can also be either
hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor-
negative. Cancers that have no or low levels of the HER2
protein and/or few copies of the HER2 gene are called
“HER2-negative.”
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11. Triple-negative:- If a tumor does not express ER, PR, and/or
HER2, the tumor is called “triple-negative.” Triple-negative
breast cancer makes up about 15% of invasive breast
cancers. Triple-negative breast cancer seems to be more
common among younger women, particularly younger
black women. Triple-negative cancer is also more common
in women with a mutation in the breast cancer genes 1 and
2, commonly called BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Experts
recommend that all people with triple-negative breast
cancer be tested for BRCA gene mutations. See the Risk
Factors and Prevention section for more information on
these genetic mutations.
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12. Risk Factors and Prevention
A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of
developing cancer. Although risk factors often influence the
development of cancer, most do not directly cause cancer.
Some people with several risk factors never develop cancer,
while others with no known risk factors do. Knowing your risk
factors and talking about them with your doctor may help
you make more informed lifestyle and health care choices.
Most breast cancers are sporadic, meaning they develop
from damage to a person’s genes that occurs by chance
after they are born. There is no risk of passing this gene on
to a person's children.
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13. Inherited breast cancers are less common, making up 5%
to 10% of cancers. Inherited breast cancer occurs when
gene changes called mutations are passed down within a
family from 1 generation to the next (see below). Many of
those mutations are in tumor suppression genes, such as
BRCA1 or BRCA2. These genes normally keep cells from
growing out of control and turning into cancer. But when
these cells have a mutation, they can grow out of
control. often detect a tumor that is too small to be felt.
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14. The following factors may raise a woman’s risk of developing
breast cancer:
Age:- The risk of developing breast cancer increases as a
woman ages, with most cancers developing in women older
than 50.
Personal history of breast cancer:- A woman who has had
breast cancer in 1 breast has a higher risk of developing a new
cancer in either breast.
Family history of breast cancer:- Breast cancer may run in the
family if your family has 1 or more of the following
characteristics:
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15. First-degree relatives, such as mothers, sisters, and
children, who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or
ovarian cancer, especially before age 50. If 2 first-degree
relatives developed breast cancer, the risk is 5 times the
average risk.
Many close relatives who have been diagnosed with
breast cancer or ovarian cancer, especially before age 50.
Close relatives include grandparents, aunts and uncles,
nieces and nephews, grandchildren, and cousins.
A family member who developed breast cancer in both
breasts.
A male relative who developed breast cancer. It is
uncertain how much a woman's risk of breast cancer is
increased when a man in the family has breast cancer,
unless this is due to an inherited mutation.
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16. Prevention
Different factors cause different types of cancer.
Researchers continue to look into what factors cause breast
cancer. Although there is no proven way to completely
prevent this disease, you may be able to lower your risk.
Talk with your doctor for more information about your
personal risk of breast cancer.
Mastectomy:- For women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic
mutations, which substantially increase the risk for breast
cancer, the preventive removal of the breasts may be
considered. The procedure, called a prophylactic
mastectomy, appears to reduce the risk of developing breast
cancer by at least 95%.
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17. Women with these mutations should also consider the
preventive removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes, called a
prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy. This procedure can
reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer, as well as breast
cancer, by stopping the ovaries from making estrogen. Talk
with your doctor about possible physical and emotional side
effects when considering having these procedures.
Chemoprevention:- Women who have a higher risk of
developing breast cancer may consider chemoprevention.
Chemoprevention is the use of hormone-blocking drugs to
reduce cancer risk. The drugs, tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox)
and raloxifene (Evista), are approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) to lower breast cancer risk.
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18. These drugs are called selective estrogen receptor
modulators (SERMs) and are not chemotherapy. A SERM is a
medication that blocks estrogen receptors in some tissues
and not others. Postmenopausal women and
premenopausal women may take tamoxifen. Raloxifene is
only approved for postmenopausal women. Each drug also
has different side effects. Talk with your doctor about
whether you may benefit from chemoprevention for breast
cancer.
Other drugs being looked at to reduce breast cancer risk
include statins, which lower cholesterol, and metformin
(multiple brand names), a drug commonly used for diabetes.
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19. Screening
Screening is used to look for cancer before you have any
symptoms or signs. Scientists have developed, and
continue to develop, tests that can be used to screen a
person for specific types of cancer. The overall goals of
cancer screening are to:
Lower the number of people who develop the disease
Lower the number of people who die from the disease,
or eliminate deaths from cancer altogether
Identify people with a higher risk of a specific type of
cancer who may need screening more often due to
genetic mutations or diseases
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20. Symptoms and Signs
The majority of women with breast cancer do not have
any signs or symptoms when diagnosed. However, it is
possible for women with the disease to experience
breast changes or symptoms. Many times, the cause of
a symptom may be a different medical condition that is
not cancer.
The signs and symptoms that should be discussed with
a doctor include:
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21. A lump that feels like a hard knot or a thickening in the
breast or under the arm. It is important to feel the same
area in the other breast to make sure the change is not a
part of healthy breast tissue in that area.
Change in the size or shape of the breast
Nipple discharge that occurs suddenly, is bloody, or
occurs in only 1 breast
Physical changes, such as a nipple turned inward or a
sore in the nipple area
Skin irritation or changes, such as puckering, dimpling,
scaliness, or new creases
Warm, red, swollen breasts with or without a rash with
dimpling resembling the skin of an orange, called “peau
d'orange”
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22. Pain in the breast, particularly breast pain that does not
go away. Pain is not usually a symptom of breast cancer,
but it should be reported to a doctor.
If you are concerned about any changes you experience,
please talk with your doctor. You doctor will ask how long
and how often you have been experiencing the symptom(s),
in addition to other questions. This is to help figure out the
cause of the problem, called a diagnosis.
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23. Diagnosis
This list describes options for diagnosing this type of cancer.
Not all tests listed below will be used for every person. Your
doctor may consider these factors when choosing a
diagnostic test:
The type of cancer suspected
Your signs and symptoms
Your age and medical condition
The results of earlier medical tests
The following tests may be used to diagnose breast cancer or
for follow-up testing after a breast cancer has been
diagnosed.
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24. Imaging Tests:- Diagnostic mammography, Ultrasound and MRI
Biopsy:- Fine needle aspiration biopsy, Core needle
biopsy, Surgical biopsy, Image-guided biopsy and Sentinel
lymph node biopsy
Analyzing the biopsy sample:- Tumor features, ER and PR, HER2
and Grade
Genomic Tests:- Oncotype Dx™, Breast Cancer
Index™, MammaPrint™, PAM50 (Prosigna™) and Additional tests
Blood Tests:- Complete blood count, Blood chemistry
and Hepatitis tests
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25. Stages
Staging is a way of describing where the cancer is located,
how much the cancer has grown, and if or where it has
spread. Doctors use diagnostic tests to find out the cancer's
stage, so staging may not be complete until all the tests are
finished. There are different stage descriptions for different
types of cancer.
TNM staging system
The most commonly used tool that doctors use to describe
the stage is the TNM system. Doctors use the results from
diagnostic tests and scans to answer these questions:
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26. Tumor (T): How large is the primary tumor? Where is it
located?
Node (N): Has the tumor spread to the lymph nodes? If so,
where and how many?
Metastasis (M): Has the cancer metastasized to other
parts of the body? If so, where and how much?
Tumor (T):- TX, T0 (T plus zero), Tis, T1, T2, T3 and T4
Node (N):- NX, N0, N1, N2 and N3
Metastasis (M):- MX, M0, M0 (i+), M1
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27. Treatment Options
In cancer care, doctors specializing in different areas of cancer
treatment—such as surgery, radiation oncology, and medical
oncology—work together to create a patient’s overall treatment
plan that combines different types of treatments. This is called a
multidisciplinary team. Cancer care teams include a variety of
other health care professionals, such as physician assistants,
oncology nurses, social workers, pharmacists, counselors,
nutritionists, and others. For people older than 65, a geriatric
oncologist or geriatrician may also be involved in care.
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28. The biology and behavior of breast cancer affects the
treatment plan. Some tumors are smaller but grow fast, while
others are larger and grow slowly. Treatment options and
recommendations are very personalized and depend on
several factors, including:
The tumor’s subtype, including hormone receptor
status (ER, PR) and HER2 status (see Introduction)
The stage of the tumor
Genomic markers, such as Oncotype DX™ (if
appropriate) (See Diagnosis)
The patient’s age, general health, menopausal status,
and preferences
The presence of known mutations in inherited breast
cancer genes, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2
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29. Surgery:- Lumpectomy and Mastectomy.
Lymph node removal and analysis:- Sentinel lymph
node biopsy and Axillary lymph node dissection.
Reconstructive (plastic) surgery:- Implants and Tissue
flap procedures.
External breast forms (prostheses).
Radiation therapy
Systemic therapy
Chemotherapy
Hormonal therapy
Targeted therapy
HER2-targeted therapy
Bone modifying drugs
Descriptions of the most common treatment options for early-
stage and locally advanced breast cancer are listed below.
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