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1. BREAST CANCER
AWARENESS
Presented by:
Reshma Yadav
R.G.N.M(3&1/2 yrs)
M.B.A(Health care & Management)

2. • Women and men both have breasts
• Women’s breasts comprise of milk glands which are
made up of Lobules i.e. where the milk is produced;
Ducts i.e. the tubes that carry milk to the nipples.
• The breast also contains supportive fibrous tissue
and fatty tissue.
• Connected to breasts are Lymph Nodes that filter
substances in a fluid called lymph which helps in
fighting infection and disease.
THE BREASTS

3. • It is a disease of the body’s cells, which are the basic
building blocks of the body
• Our bodies are constantly making new cells to enable
us to grow, to replace worn-out cells or to heal
damaged cells
• Normally, cells grow and multiply in an orderly way.
However, something goes wrong in this process
sometimes and cells grow in an uncontrollable way
• This buildup of extra cells forms a mass of tissue
called a Lump, Growth, or Tumour.
WHAT IS CANCER ?

4. Tumours can be :
 Benign - i.e.
 Rarely a threat to life
 Can be removed & usually doesn’t grow back
 Doesn’t spread or infiltrate into other parts of the
body
 Malignant – i.e.
 May be a threat to life
 Often can be removed but sometimes grows back
 Can invade and damage nearby organs & tissue
 Can spread to other parts of the body
WHAT IS CANCER?

6. • BREAST CANCER (BC) or Carcinoma of the
breast, is cancer that forms in tissues of the breast.
• BC can be of different types such as Ductal,
Lobular, or Inflammatory.
• It is possible for men to suffer from Breast Cancer as
well, although far more rare as compared to women.
BREAST CANCER

7. • Being a woman- 80% of diagnoses have NO family
history
• Getting older- more than half the women who are
diagnosed with BC are above age 55
• Having several close relatives, like a mother,
maternal aunt, sister or daughter diagnosed with BC
• A personal history of certain breast conditions (such
as irregular lumps, cysts, breast discomfort, etc)
RISK FACTORS

8. • Menstruating at an early age i.e. before 12 years
• Not having children; Not breastfeeding; or having the
first child after age 30
• Later age at natural menopause i.e. above age 55
• Drinking alcohol i.e. more than 2 drinks/day
• Lack of physical activity; Obesity or putting on a lot
of weight post-menopause
RISK FACTORS

9. • High intake of saturated fats
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) post-
menopause
• Any treatment with radiation therapy to the
breast/chest
• Environmental factors such as significant exposure
to toxins like Tobacco, Benzene, DDT, and other
organic solvents.
RISK FACTORS

10. Symptoms
• Early BC usually does not cause symptoms. But as
the tumour grows, it can change how the breast looks
or feels. Common changes to look out for include-
 A lump or thickening in or near the breast or
underarm area
 Changes to the nipple- shape change; crusting; sore or
ulcer; redness; in-turned/inverted nipple
 Dimpling or puckering in skin of the breast
DIAGNOSIS

11.  Fluid discharge from the nipple without squeezing,
especially if it is bloody
 Change in the size and shape of the breast
 Scaly, swollen, redness of skin of the breast
 Persistent, unusual pain- if this is not related to your
normal monthly cycle
DIAGNOSIS

13. Assessment
Several tests are used to diagnose BC, namely-
 Physical Examination –
Good history including family history of breast
cancer will be taken down. A thorough clinical
examination will be conducted, including that of size,
site, feel of breast (and/or tumour), and lymph nodes.
Another method is to conduct monthly Breast Self
Examination (BSE).
DIAGNOSIS

15.  Mammography –
It is a low-dose X-Ray of the breast, which will
show breast changes, if any.
It is a highly sensitive test and detects 85-90% of
breast cancers.
It can find changes that are too small to be felt
through physical examination.
Here, both breasts, one at a time, are pressed
between two x-ray plates.
Many women find this procedure uncomfortable,
but it gets over within 20 seconds.
This test is usually not done for those under age
35, those pregnant or breastfeeding.
DIAGNOSIS

17. • Ultra Sonography –
It is a safe & non-invasive procedure.
It uses sound waves to make a picture of the breast.
This test can show if there is a tumour, and how large
it is. Also, it can often tell the difference between
benign lumps and malignant tumours.
This test is painless, and usually takes 15-20 minutes.
DIAGNOSIS

19. • Biopsy-
It is an invasive technique of detection.
It is the removal of small amount of breast tissue to
be viewed under a microscope to check for signs of
cancer.
There are different types of biopsies that one
undergoes, depending upon the type of lump.
DIAGNOSIS

20. • ER and PR Test –
This is the Estrogen Receptor and Progesterone
Receptor Test.
It measures the amount of those hormone receptors
in the cancerous tissue.
This would enable us to know in which way the
hormones could affect the cancer- will they promote
the cancer or prevent it from growing?
DIAGNOSIS

21. • Further tests such as MRI, CT and PET scans to
confirm the results of other tests, estimate the extent
of cancer in the body, and whether it has spread to
other parts.
DIAGNOSIS

22. • Treatment of BC involves ‘multidisciplinary care’-
 breast surgeon who performs the breast surgery
 pathologist who examines the tissue removed from
the breast to examine the type and extent of the
cancer
 radiologist who examines x-rays and mammograms
 medical oncologist who is responsible for
chemotherapy
TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS

23.  radiation oncologist who is responsible for
radiation therapy
 Nurse who assists surgeon as well as give patient
supportive nursing care
 physiotherapist who helps in restoring movement
after surgery
 plastic surgeon who performs breast reconstruction
surgery for women who have undergone
mastectomy (if they choose to)
 psychologist/ psychiatrist who provides emotional
support & helps cope with anxiety and depression
TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS

24. • There are standardized measures based on which
doctors determine the Stage of the cancer the patient
suffers from.
• The criteria are the size of the tumour, if it has
invaded the lymph nodes, or spread to other parts of
the body (like lungs, liver, bones, etc. )
• The smaller & more contained the tumour is, the
earlier is the stage, and thus the chances of survival
are greater.
• There are 4 basic stages- Stage I to IV. As the stages
progress from I to IV, the chances of survival drop
steadily.
STAGES OF CANCER

25. • Prognosis refers to the expected outcome of a
disease/ illness.
• The earlier the cancer is found & treated, the better
is the prognosis.
• Most people with early Breast Cancer can be treated
successfully. For those with more advanced cancer,
a cure may still be possible.
• However, for some others, treatment may not cure
the cancer, but can simply reduce the symptoms and
improve the quality of life (i.e. Palliative care).
PROGNOSIS

26. • Treatment of BC depends on many other factors. The
doctor could advise on the following treatment
modalities:
 Surgery-
It is used to treat most BC and involves removing
only a part of the breast (lumpectomy) or the whole
breast (mastectomy).
Side Effects could include swelling up of the arm if
the lymph nodes are removed, numbness of the arm
and shoulder stiffness.
TREATMENT

27.  Radiotherapy-
It uses x-rays to kill cancer cells or to stop them
from growing.
It is usually recommended for women in whom
only a part of the breast was removed.
This is done to destroy any cancer cells left behind
in the breast. However, sometimes it is
recommended to women who have had
mastectomies as well.
Side effects are temporary, and include tiredness
after radiotherapy starts till about a month after it
ends; red dry irritable skin; decreased appetite;
nausea.
TREATMENT

28.  Chemotherapy-
It uses drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer
cells. It may be used if the chances of cancer
recurring are high, when the cancer has already
recurred after surgery or radiotherapy, or if the
cancer does not respond to hormone therapy.
Side effects are temporary, and vary according to
the drugs used. Feeling sick, vomiting, fatigue,
mouth ulcers, weight changes, thinning or loss of
hair on body and head. For some women, it could
cause temporary irregularity in menstruation, and
for some others, it could lead to menopause.
TREATMENT

29.  Hormone Treatment-
This aims to destroy any cancer cells left in the
breast or that may have spread outside the breast
and armpit after other treatments. However, this is
recommended only for some women.
Side effects include vaginal dryness or discharge,
irregular periods, and in some rare cases cancer of
the uterus.
TREATMENT

30.  Complementary therapies-
These help in dealing with side effects, and include
counseling, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massage,
art and music therapy.
 Palliative treatments-
These are particularly important for those people with
advanced cancer who cannot be cured, but want to
live the remaining part of their lives as comfortable as
possible, and without undue pain.
TREATMENT

31. • Coping with side effects of the treatment(s)-
Some of the above mentioned side effects might be
simply unpleasant, whereas some others could pose
significant risks to health & healing process.
• The best course of action is to learn about the
potential side effects before they occur so that you
know what to do if and when they do take place.
• Your doctor may want to examine you 6 months after
your treatment ended, followed by yearly, or in some
cases half-yearly checkups.
TREATMENT

32. • A breast cancer diagnosis- the most devastating
news that a woman can hear.
• Apart from the physical effects from BC, often the
emotional effects are more painful and can take
longer to deal with.
• Some common reactions seen could be those of Fear,
Depression, Anger & Frustration, Loneliness,
Shame & Guilt, right from the stage of diagnosis
through the treatment.
• Essential to acknowledge such feelings.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

33. • A Caregiver is someone who helps and supports a
person through an illness or disability such as or
cancer.
• The caregiver could be a family member, a relative, a
friend, or neighbour.
• Research shows that caregivers often experience
higher levels of distress than the person suffering
from cancer.
CAREGIVERS & CANCER

34. • Caregivers may feel a wide range of emotions too-
 Fear - just how unwell the person your loved one is;
feeling like everything is out of your control;
possibility that your loved one could die.
 Anger, frustration - at having to be carers & having
extra responsibilities; angry at other family members
& friends for not helping enough; angry at the cancer
for interrupting future plans.
 Loneliness - might sometimes feel you are too busy
caring to socialize or go out; people visit less often
because they may think you might already be
burdened; maybe you did everything with the person
who has cancer & you miss this special time together.
CAREGIVERS & CANCER

35. • Some techniques to make the process of healing &
recovery easier for both, the patient & the caregivers-
 To feel is to heal - If you're angry, try not to swallow
it; If you need to cry, cry it out.
 Talking about how you feel, with a friend, a family
member, a counselor.
 Join local cancer support groups to share your
feelings with someone in a similar position.
COPING TECHNIQUES

36.  Ask for help- tell your family & friends what they
can do to make things easier, whether it is helping
with household chores or listening to you when you
want to share your feelings.
 Take time to be good to oneself by engaging in an
enjoyable activity, or exercising, regularly.
 Maintain a diary- this may help to not only vent
your feelings but even acknowledge them.
COPING TECHNIQUES

37. • Some foods we must consider eating more often –
 Carrots, Mushrooms, Brinjal, Broccoli, Sweet Potato,
Tomatoes (cooked), Capsicum, Gourd
 Green leafy vegetables, especially Spinach
 Garlic, Ginger
 Walnuts, Almonds
 Whole grain products
 Fruit/ Vegetable juices
 Green tea
 Fresh fruits especially Pomegranates, Grapes, Figs,
Guavas, Kiwis, Citrus fruits
CANCER & DIET

38. • Some foods we must consider avoiding include:
 Red meat (beef/ veal/ duck)
 Pickled/ cured/ smoked meats (salami, bacon,
sausage)
 Heavy, sugary desserts
 Hydrogenated groundnut/ peanut oils; trans-fats
 Deep fried foods
CANCER & DIET