Breast Cancer
“Every woman needs to know the facts. And the fact is when it comes to breast cancer, every woman is at risk.”
–Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Introduction to Breast Cancer
An abnormal cell in the body divides uncontrollably, causing cancer. A mutation in a gene that regulates cell growth leads to cancer. As a result of the mutations, the cells divide and multiply uncontrollably. It is most common to find breast cancer in the cells that line milk ducts in the breast. The tissue surrounding your breast can be invaded and affected by breast cancer, just as other cancers can. In addition to causing tumors in your body, this cancer can also cause them to spread to other parts and that process is called a metastatic spread. Breast cancers are common among women around the world. This disease, however, can affect both men and women. It is estimated that 12% of women in the United States will develop breast cancer during their lifetimes.
Signs and Symptoms
Breast cancer which is in its early stages does not show any signs or symptoms of its cause. A lump or irregular-looking mass that is painless and hard in the breast may be the first sign of cancer, or the disease may spread to nearby tissues and organs. The shape, texture, and pain of breast cancers, however, are not the only characteristics of the disease.
Breast cancer can be detected by the following signs and symptoms:
• The breast may appear changed, such as having a dimpling.
• Inverted nipple or changing in size, shape, or appearance.
• Patches of pink or red skin may appear over your breasts as if the skin were orange.
• Nipple and areola (the area around the breasts) pigment changes occur.
Breast Cancer types:
1. Invasive Breast Cancer - Cancer cells that invade the breast tissue break through normal tissue barriers and spread through the bloodstream and lymph nodes to other parts of the body. Among invasive breast cancers, ductal carcinomas and lobular carcinomas are the most common.
a. Invasive ductal carcinoma - This form of breast cancer begins in the milk ducts that transport milk to the nipples and then spreads to the rest of the breast. As cancer advances, it may spread to other parts of the body and metastasize.
b. Invasive lobular carcinoma - The disease starts in the lobules (where breast milk is produced), then spreads into the surrounding breast tissue. There is a possibility that it will metastasize, just like IDC. Although it is less likely to be detected by mammograms and other exams than IDC, it can still be detected by other tests. Women with both breasts affected by ILC make up one in five of those diagnosed.
2. Triple-Negative Breast Cancer - Breast cancer that is triple-negative has none of the three receptors commonly associated with breast cancer-estrogen, progesterone, and HER2-2/neu. A negative test for HER-2, estrogen receptors, and progesterone receptors has indicated that breast cancer cells lack hormone epidermal growth factor receptors.
Ineffective treatments such as hormone therapy and drugs targeting estrogen, progesterone, and HER-2 cannot be used since the tumor cells lack the necessary receptors. There is still an effective treatment option for treating triple-negative breast cancer with chemotherapy. The early stages of triple-negative breast cancer respond better to chemotherapy than those in their advanced stages.
3. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) - As the name implies, the inflammation of breast cancer is aggressive and fast-growing, and cancer cells penetrate the skin and lymph vessels in the breast. Sometimes it doesn't produce a distinct lump or tumor that can be felt within the breast. Breast cancer cells block lymph vessels, resulting in symptoms when they become blocked.
4. Paget Disease of The Breast Or Nipple - In breast cancer, Paget disease accounts for about 1-3% of all cases. The areola, which surrounds the nipple, is often affected by this rare type of cancer (also known as mammary Paget disease). One or more tumors will generally be present in the breast of most people with Paget disease evident on their nipples, either ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive breast cancer (1–3). The first symptoms of Paget disease may be confused with symptoms of more common skin conditions affecting the nipple, which can make it difficult to diagnose at first. It is important to take into account a variety of factors in developing a prognosis for Paget diseases, such as invasive cancer and lymph node spread.
Stages Of Breast Cancer - When cancer is first diagnosed, it is classified by the amount and location of cancer in the body. This is also known as the cancerous extent. By using test results, we can determine what type of cancer is in the breast, where it has spread, and what size is the tumour.
Stage 0 - Cancerous growths in the ducts of the breast and not in the surrounding tissue are considered stage 0 cancers. Cancer that does not invade the body is also called an in situ cancer or a non-invasive type.
Stage IA -At this stage, there is only a small, invasive tumour. The tumour has not spread to lymph nodes.
Stage IB - Lymph nodes have been affected by cancer and cancer in the lymph nodes is larger than 0.2mm but less than 2mm in size. Regardless of whether there is a tumour in the breast or not, it is smaller than 20mm.
Stage IIA - Any one of the following can occur in stage 2A:
• Cancer has spread to 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes, but there is no evidence of tumor in the breast. The disease has not spread elsewhere in the body.
• There are one to three axillary lymph nodes affected by the tumor, which are 20 mm or smaller.
• A tumor that measures more than 20 millimeters but less than 50 millimeters and has not reached the lymph nodes of the axillae.
Stage IIB - Displaying either of these conditions:
• One to three axillary lymph nodes have been affected by the tumor and the size will become much larger than 20 mm but not greater than 50 mm.
• No axillary lymph nodes are involved, but the tumor is larger than 50mm.
Stage IIIA - An axillary lymph node or internal mammary node has been invaded by a tumor of any size at stage IIIA. There are no signs of it spreading to other parts of the body. In Stage IIIA, one to three axillary lymph nodes may have been affected by a tumor larger than 50 mm
Stage IIIB - At this stage, it can be observed through tests that Tumors grow to the chest wall or cause swelling or ulceration of the breast, or they are diagnosed as inflammatory breast cancer. Lymph nodes in the axillae and internal mammaries may have been affected. There are no signs of it spreading to other parts of the body.
Stage IIIC - During stage IIIC, your tumor may have metastasized to 10 or more lymph nodes in the axilla region, the internal mammary region, and/or the collarbone region and it is not contagious to other parts of the body.
Stage IV (metastasizing) - This stage indicates that the tumor has spread to other organs, including the bones, lungs, brain, liver, distant lymph nodes, and the chest wall. It is estimated that 6% of cancer cases are discovered at the time of the initial diagnosis. De novo metastatic breast cancer may be the term used here. Early-stage breast cancer is most commonly diagnosed as metastatic breast cancer following an earlier diagnosis.
Diagnosis of Breast Cancer -
Mammogram -The breast is imaged via X-ray during a mammogram. In order to detect breast cancer, mammograms are commonly used. A patient may be advised to undergo a diagnostic mammogram by a doctor if abnormalities were detected on their patient screening mammogram.
Breast ultrasound - With ultrasound, deep inside the body can be seen with images produced by sound waves. A new breast lump may be diagnosed using ultrasound as a solid mass or a fluid-filled cyst by using the technique.
Removing a sample of breast cells for testing (biopsy) - To determine if breast cancer exists, a biopsy must be performed. The biopsy involves removing a core of tissue from the suspicious area with a special needle device guided by X-rays or another imaging test.
Experts determine whether cells from a biopsy are cancerous after they are sent to a laboratory for analysis. Depending on the type of cancer cells involved, the aggressiveness (grade) of cancer, and whether hormone receptors or other receptors are expressed by the cancer cells may influence the treatment options.
Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - The inside of your breast can be visualized using an MRI machine using a magnet and radio waves. Breast MRIs require dye injections before they can be performed. MRIs do not use radiation to create their images, unlike other types of imaging tests.
Treatment -
Surgeries -
• Removing the breast cancer (lumpectomy). The surgeon removes the tumor along with a small margin of healthy tissue during a lumpectomy, which may also be called a breast-conserving operation or a wide local excision. Smaller tumors may require a lumpectomy. The chemotherapy can shrink a tumor before surgery, making a lumpectomy procedure possible for those with larger tumors.
• Removing the entire breast (mastectomy). Breast tissue is removed during a mastectomy. There are two types of mastectomy procedures: total mastectomy and simple mastectomy. The former involves the removal of all breast tissue - the breast lobules, ducts, fat, and some skin. The latter involves the removal of the breast areola and nipple. When appropriate, newer surgical techniques can improve the appearance of the breast. The number of surgeries for breast cancer that save the skin and the nipple is increasing.
• Removing several lymph nodes (axillary lymph node dissection). The surgeon may suggest removing additional armpit lymph nodes if cancer is found in the sentinel lymph nodes.
Radiation therapy - In radiation therapy, cancer cells are destroyed with high-powered beams of energy, such as x-rays and protons. An external beam radiation machine targets energy beams at your body as a part of radiation therapy. In addition, radiation can also be delivered by placing radioactive material inside the body (brachytherapy). It is common to use external beam radiation after a lumpectomy to treat the entire breast. As a side effect of radiation therapy, the patient may experience fatigue and a rash similar to that caused by a sunburn. In addition, breast tissue may appear firmer or swollen. It is possible to experience more serious complications, such as damage to the heart or lungs, or even recurrence of original cancer.
Chemotherapy - Cancer cells are destroyed by chemotherapy by using drugs that destroy fast-growing cells. After surgery, a doctor may recommend chemotherapy if the cancer is likely to return or spread to another area of the body. In addition to women with cancer that has spread to other parts of their bodies, chemotherapy can be used in those suffering from the disease. Symptoms associated with cancer may be reduced with chemotherapy. As a result of the drugs used in chemotherapy, chemotherapy has different side effects. Aside from hair loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and an increased risk of infection, hair loss is one of the most common side effects of this medication. Menopause prematurely, infertility (if premenopausal), cardiac or liver damage, neurologicaldamage, and, extremely rarely, blood cell cancer, which are all rare side effects.
Immunotherapy - Cancer can be treated with immunotherapy by using a person's own immune system. Cancer cells produce proteins that do not allow our immune system to fight the disease and thus, this process is interfered with by immunotherapy. Breast cancer that does not have estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 receptors which is triple-negative breast cancer, might be treated with immunotherapy.
Healthy Foods That Reduce Breast Cancer Risk -
Who does not want a life free from diseases, not only common ones but terminal ones? Having a perfectly healthy balanced diet not only gives people health benefits but helps them to prevent the risk of getting cancers such as breast cancer. Among the many darks, and leafy greens that prevent breast cancer, kale, spinach, and collard greens are among the best. A leafy green's antioxidant content inhibits the formation of free radicals, which cause cancer. A diet rich in berries can protect, repair, and slow the spread of cancer cells. These antioxidants and vitamins are found in berries. The antioxidant content of darker berries is 50% higher than that of lighter berries. There are many nutrients found in citrus fruits that may help fight and prevent breast cancer, such as Vitamin C, folate, calcium, and a number of other nutrients. Studies have shown that citrus fruits have been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 10% in women consuming citrus fruits regularly. Fermented foods contain probiotics, living bacteria, and yeasts that are responsible for keeping the body healthy. It is good for your digestion to consume probiotics not only for digestion, but also to build a good immune system for a person. A healthy immune system can also help you fight against the bacteria and cancer cells caused by harmful toxins. The consumption of pomegranates is associated with the prevention and treatment of many cancers that are estrogen-dependent, including cancer of the breast. There is a compound in pomegranates called ellagitannins that can stop breast cancer cells from spreading and growing. 75% to 90% of breast cancer lesions were prevented by fermented pomegranate juice, according to research.
Summary -
As the title suggests, the article is designed to conclude a discussion about the cancerous disease known as breast cancer. What actually happens and what types there are was explained in simple and easy-to-understand terms. There was a discussion of the symptoms and types of the condition that ultimately varies. A balanced diet is also recommended to prevent breast cancer risks, in addition to treatments of various types that are general for the cause.
Article by Krupali Vaghela
Sources:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/breast-cancer-cell-national-cancer-institutescience-photo-library.html
Figure 3 ."Invasive ductal carcinoma in a 52-year-old female. (A) The right ...." https://www.researchgate.net/figure/nvasive-ductal-carcinoma-in-a-52-year-old-female-A-The-right-mediolateral-mammogram_fig1_260995430; Figure 4. "Invasive LobularCarcinoma of the Breast: Spectrum of ... - Radiographic." 01 Jan. 2009, https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/rg.291085100.
Figure 5 "What Is Triple Negative Breast Cancer? - maurerfoundation.org." 17 May. 2013, https://www.maurerfoundation.org/what-is-triple-negative-breast-cancer/.
Figure 6 Inflammatory and microenvironmental factors involved in breast cancer progression | SpringerLink"Inflammatory and microenvironmental factors involved in ... - Springer." 13 Nov. 2013, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12272-013-0271-7.Inflammatory and microenvironmental factors involved in breast cancer progression|pringerLink.
