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What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is abnormal cell growth in the breasts that begins in the Lobules and spreads to the ducts, the passages carrying milk to the glands.
While breast cancer is mostly common in women, it can also develop in men. Most of the time, they develop from a tumor that starts in epithelial cells.
With genetic mutation, they form a lump of mass, and when untreated, they can turn into cancer or even spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system.
Breast cancer usually begins in the cells of the:
- Milk ducts (ductal cancer)
- Lobules (milk-producing glands)
- Other breast tissues, in some cases
Over time, cancer cells may grow into nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body.
Types of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer can be of three major types:
Invasive Ductal Cancer: This type of cancer starts in the ducts, and gradually, the surrounding breast tissues are affected.
Invasive Lobular cancer: Lobules are initially affected, and then it spreads to the nearby tissues.
Ductal Cancer: They remain confined to the ducts and won’t spread.
Common Symptoms of Breast Cancer
Symptoms that help to identify Breast cancer are:
- A new lump in your breast or near the underarm.
- Change in breast size.
- Skin tone changes with orange peels often found.
- Discharges from the nipple other than milk.
- Reddening, scaling, and flaking of breast skin.
Early Warning Signs of Breast Cancer
Visual changes: Redness, dimming, and visibility of veins are the common signs.
Nipple indicators: Inward pulling of nipples, unusual discharges other than breast milk, and extensive itching around the nipples are the common indicators.
Changes in surrounding areas: Lymph near the underarms or collarbones.
Causes and Risk Factors of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer develops when cells undergo genetic changes and begin multiplying abnormally.
The exact cause is not always known, but several factors can increase risk.
Age Factor
Mostly seen in females after 50 when they face menopause.
Genetic Mutation
Nearly 5-10% female face breast cancer genetically.
Reproductive cycles
A study showed that breast cancer often occurs in females who experienced an early start of the menstrual cycle or delayed menopause.
Breast tissue
Women whose breast veins are more often visible have a higher risk of developing breast tumors.
Lifestyle issues
Females with irregular exercise, being overweight, and who consume heavy alcohol are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Those who have experienced long-term HRT can also face such risks.
How Breast Cancer Is Diagnosed
Diagnosis of breast cancer starts from identifying the external symptoms, and it goes on to biopsy, where all details of the cancer are reported.
Here are the diagnostic measures carried out for breast cancer:
Physical Examination
Here, the texture of the breast skin, the nipples, the discharges that come out of the nipples, the lymph nodes, and their location are derived, reported, and physically examined by the doctor.
Imaging
Mammograms, Ultrasound imaging for finding out fluid-filled cysts and solid masses, along with Breast MRIs, are carried out to understand the risks associated with breast cancer. Usually, these are carried out when breast cancer has been identified through the physical examination.
Biopsy
Finally, when all methods are applied, and breast cancer is diagnosed, the doctor will try to know all the details of your cancer. Its stage, its spread, and its nature are to be identified then.
For that, fine needles are used to drain and test small amounts of the fluid, core needles are used for suspicious masses, and even a surgical biopsy is conducted to remove lumps.
Stages of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is staged from early to advanced disease.
Stage 0: Ductal cancer in situ, where cancer cells are non-invasive. Breast cancer is highly treatable at this stage.
Stage I: The cancer cells have just started to invade the other breast tissues.
- Stage IA: Tumor has grown to 2 cm but hasn’t reached the lymph nodes.
- Stage IB: Tumor is still small in size but has started invading the lymph nodes.
Stage II: Cancer invasion is rapid; tumors are bigger than 2 cm, and they reach the lymph nodes.
- Stage IIA: Tumor is 2 to 5 cm and might have connected to 1-3 underarm nodes.
- Stage IIB: Tumor can be bigger than 5 cm and could be connected to the lymph nodes.
Stage III: Advanced stage of breast cancer where the tumor is more than 5 cm, and the lymph nodes connected can be 4-9. The chest wall might be invaded by the cancer cells.
Stage IV: This stage is called the non-curable metastatic stage. Here, cancer has spread to other organs than the breasts. Treatment can manage the disease, but it is not possible at this level.
Treatment Options for Breast Cancer
The major treatment options for breast cancer can be surgery, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy:
Breast Cancer Surgery: What You Need to Know
There are 3 stages of breast cancer surgeries:
- Surgery: At the initial stage, when the cancer cells have not connected with the lymph nodes.
- Lumpectomy: Removing the tumor when it is just connected to 1-2 nodes.
- Mastectomy: When the cancer is well spread but is confined to the breast, the entire breast can be removed.
Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Explained
- When used: Chemotherapy helps to shrink the larger tumors in cases of advanced stages of cancer. It is used before the removal of the tumor.
- How used: Pembrolizumab or the checkpoint inhibitors are often combined with chemotherapy drugs for handling the spread of cancer cells.
Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer
- When used: When cancer cells are fueled by Progesterone or estrogen.
- Lower stage usage: At the lower stages, Aromatase Inhibitors are applied.
- Higher stage usage: In the case of ESR1, SERDs are used.
Prevention Tips for Breast Cancer
Breast cancer cannot be prevented exactly. However, some practices can check such incidents, like:
Lifestyle practices:
- Reducing alcohol intake: Alcohol increases the chance of developing any type of cancer.
- Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding your baby reduces the chance of having breast cancer.
- Maintained health: Maintaining a healthy weight and following 75-150 minutes of workout helps a lot.
Screening:
- Annual Mammograms: Start doing it in your 40s, especially after menopause.
- Physical examination: Don’t panic, but try checking out breast skin tone and nipple discharge from time to time.
Importance of Breast Self-Examination
What to examine
Self-examining your breasts includes checking the skin tone, checking for any tumor shape that is growing, and checking the discharge of the nipples.
Why to check
The breast is not one of the body parts that remains open to everyone. It is a private part, and therefore, only you can check any sort of anomalies out there.
How to check
Before your menopause, you can check the swollen parts, skin tone, and nipple discharges once a month. After menopause, devote at least one day a week to doing such checks.
Life After Breast Cancer: Recovery and Care
Life after breast cancer can be hectic and filled with emotional glitches. Major checkpoints in this case are:
Regular Care and Monitoring:
- Checkups with oncologists.
- Women’s health monitoring for hormone therapy patients.
- Regular imaging and body changes with chemotherapy.
Emotional health:
- Panic with cancer may develop regarding recurrence.
- A change in your body shape can bother you a lot.
When to See a Doctor
See a doctor for Breast cancer when you find the following differences:
Persistent Lump: When you notice a persistent lump in your breast or near the underarm pit.
Skin tone change: When you notice a change in skin tone in any one of your breasts.
Nipple issues: Inversion or inward pulling of the nipple, unusual discharges from the nipple, or redness around the nipple staying for over a month must be reported to a doctor.
Pain: In case you are experiencing constant pain around your nipple or any part of the breast for a long time.
Conclusion
Breast cancer can be treated easily when it is in the initial stage. However, for that, you need to monitor it closely from time to time and inform your doctor.
When it invades the other organs, treatment becomes complex, and most of the time, they are non-curable too. So, be careful about them with your close monitoring.