Breast Cancer

What is Breast Cancer

All women are at risk for getting breast cancer. As you get older, your risk increases. Assuming you live to age 90, your risk of getting breast cancer over your lifetime is about 14%. That might sound scary, because it means that an average of about one out of every seven women will get breast cancer over a 90 year life span.

Breast cancer is overwhelmingly a female disease, but about 1% of cases occur in men. Amongst women it becomes more common as age increases. More than 80% of cases occur in women over 50.

What are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a possibility if a small, hard, usually painless lump is found in the breast. Bear in mind that at least 80% of breast lumps are not cancerous, but are often only fluid-filled cysts in the breast tissue. However, every lump must be evaluated. Other symptoms include:

Colour change, dimpling or scaling of the skin in one part of the breast.

Changes in the size or shape of the breast.

Discharge from the nipple.

Retraction (indentation) of the nipple.

Lumps in the armpit.

If you find a lump in your breast you should report it to your doctor . Your doctor will examine it and arrange further investigations if necessary. Your doctor may carry out some investigations or refer you directly to a breast clinic, depending on your circumstances.

Your doctor may refer you for a mammogram (a special x-ray of the breast). This is a simple procedure that can find a lump before it can be felt. However, some breast changes do not show up on a mammogram, especially in the dense, glandular breasts of younger women, so it is important that you also have your breasts examined by your doctor.For younger women the investigation of choice may be ultrasound of the breast.

If the doctor suspects that the lump is merely a cyst (a fluid-filled sac), it can be aspirated (ie. the fluid can be drained with a fine needle). If the lump disappears after the fluid is withdrawn, it is quite likely that the lump was a fluid-filled cyst and that no malignancy exists.

A biopsy is a microscopic examination of a tissue sample of the suspicious area and is the only way to make a definitive diagnosis of breast cancer.

A biopsy can be carried out as an outpatient procedure using a hollow needle to take a sample of the tissue or all or part of the lump may be removed surgically under anaesthesia. In either case, the tissue is sent to the laboratory for analysis.

What are the Causes of Breast Cancer

Taking the contraceptive pill slightly increases the risk. Taking hormone replacement therapy increases your risk somewhat more, but one must weigh up the benefits and risks.. Obesity and heavy drinking also significantly increase the risk.

Having one close relative (mother or sister) with breast cancer doubles your risk of getting breast cancer, when compared to women with no cases in the family. Having two close relatives affected increases your risk further.

Traditional Medical Treatments for Breast Cancer

Treatment of breast cancer can involve surgery, radiation and drug therapy, or a combination of these. Your doctor will recommend a treatment based on your age, general health, the type and size of the cancer, and whether it has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of your body.

Some form of surgery will be necessary in most cases of breast cancer. Your doctor may recommend a lumpectomy (removing the cancerous tissue only) or mastectomy (removing the entire breast). Until recently, mastectomy was the standard treatment for the majority of breast cancers, but most patients with early-stage cancers can now choose lumpectomy followed by radiation with or without chemotherapy (also known as breast-conserving treatment). Mastectomy is usually recommended only if:

Tumours exist in more than one site

The cancer is located underneath the nipple.

Radiation therapy is not possible.

The removed lump is large and shows cancer cells on its margins.

For women with early-stage cancers who have chosen lumpectomy.

In premenopausal women who have had mastectomies.

To shrink very large tumours to a size small enough to allow surgical removal.

To treat cancers that have spread or tumours that are inoperable.

Complementaty/Alternative Treatments for Breast Cancer

The emotional impact of cancer diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and related issues can be severe. Most larger hospitals are associated with cancer support groups which can help patients cope with the many issues that come up in a supportive environment with other people with experience with similar issues. Online cancer support groups are also very beneficial to cancer patients, especially in dealing with uncertainty and body-image problems inherent in cancer treatment.