Breast Cancer

· Overview
· Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women and one out of every nine women will develop breast cancer.
· Breast cancer is almost four times more likely to occur in a woman who has a mother or sister with breast cancer.
Most breast cancers are found by patients and not doctors.

· Risk factors for breast cancer
The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is a family member with a history of breast cancer.

Other risk factors include:
- previous fibrocystic breast disease
- previous uterine cancer
- diets which are high in fat
- estrogen replacement after menopause
- postmenopausal women who use estrogen and progesterone have a significantly increase risk of
developing breast cancer compared with estrogen alone
- alcohol may increase the risk of breast cancer

· Screening for breast cancer
Women should perform self breast examinations every month about a week after their menstrual cycle.
Women should have a yearly breast examination by their doctor.
Screening mammograms should be preformed every year starting at age 40.
MRI imaging and breast ultrasound are good screening tests for women with a high risk of breast cancer or in women who have an abnormal mammogram.

· Symptoms of Breast Cancer
A single or solitary breast mass is the most common sign of breast cancer. A breast cancer mass will typically be non-tender and firm or hard.

· Other sign of breast cancer may include:
· breast pain
· changes in the size of the breast such as breast swelling, breast edema
· breast shrinkage
· increase in firmness of the breast
· changes in the skin of the breast
· rash of the breast
· changes in the nipple such as a nipple rash, scaling or nipple discharge
· nipple itch or burning
· Swollen lymph node in the underarm area
· unexplained weight loss

· Types of Breast Cancer
There are two basic types of breast cancer:
Lobular cancinoma is breast cancer of the breast tissue.
Ductal carcinoma is breast cancer of the ducts in the breast. Breast cancer of breast ducts in more common.
Breast cancer may have receptors for progesterone or estrogen.

· Treatment
Treatment for breast cancer depends on the type of breast cancer, staging and presence of estrogen or progesterone receptors.

Treatment may include surgery, medication and radiation therapy.

· Prognosis
Breast cancer has a very good prognosis if it is localized to the breast and has not spread, and treatment can cure up to 90% of these cases of breast cancer.

Reference
Jemal A et al: Cancer Statistics, 2006. CA Cancer J Clin 2006;56:106. [PMID: 16514137]

Posted on June 15, 2009

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