Breast Cancer: A Call for Awareness

Angel Maria Siji

Med-Vet Club

Blog Article

16th October 2022

Known as the most common cancer diagnosed in women, breast cancer accounts for more than 1 in 10 new cancer diagnoses each year. Like every other cancer, it occurs when cells forming different parts of the breast become cancerous and divide uncontrollably, resulting in solid ‘lumps’ called tumours. Though very rare, men have also been diagnosed with breast cancer, since they too have breast tissue - a fact that is often overlooked.

Anatomically, a breast consists of three main parts: lobules, ducts and connective tissue (fig.1). Lobules are the milk-secreting glands lying in front of the chest wall and grouped to form lobes. The tubes responsible for transporting milk secreted by these lobules are called ducts. And the connective tissue, encompassing all the fatty tissue and ligaments is what holds everything together. Breast cancer has been seen to evolve mainly in the ducts (invasive ductal carcinoma) or the lobules (invasive lobular carcinoma).

Fig. 1. Parts of the Breast. “What Is Breast Cancer?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Sept. 2022, www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/what-is-breast-cancer.htm.

Symptoms

Studies show that breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer among women, after lung cancer. And there is a reason for it. The disease always evolves silently, beginning with a single malignant cell dividing steadily over two to five years before a lump in the breast or underarm is felt. This is the most common symptom of breast cancer.

Some others include:

• Swelling of part of the breast.
• Irritation or redness around the nipple area.
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
• Pain in any part of the breast.

Bear in mind that these symptoms can occur with other non-cancer-related conditions as well. If any of these symptoms worry you, be sure to book a check-up with your doctor right away.

Risk Factors

Although there is no single factor that alone contributes to the development of the disease, it is important to identify any other possible factor. Having a risk factor, however, does not mean you will get the disease. Instead, you can take preventive measures by consulting your doctor to lower your risk.

Some such risk factors are:

• Ageing: Women over the age of 50 are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Gender: Women are more likely to get breast cancer than men.
• Personal history: There is a possibility of a relapse in individuals who previously had breast cancer.
• Family history: A woman's risk for breast cancer is greater if she has first-degree relatives who have had breast or ovarian cancer.
• Previous treatment using radiation therapy: Women who have had radiation therapy to the chest before the age of 30 can contract the disease.
• Exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES): This drug was given to pregnant women in the U.S. between 1940 and 1971 to prevent miscarriages. Women, or whose mothers took DES while pregnant with them, can develop breast cancer.

Research led by Louise Brinton, Ph.D., and Michael B. Cook, Ph.D.NCI. also concluded that men with higher BMI (which can indicate excess breast tissue and elevated oestrogen levels) have a 35 per cent higher risk of developing breast cancer as well.

Treatment

The most common types of breast cancer that women get treated for are invasive ductal carcinoma or invasive lobular carcinoma. Diagnosis of the disease would normally involve a biopsy, diagnostic mammograms or a breast ultrasound. Treatment options would then be discussed with the patient immediately after the diagnosis.

Patients with breast cancer will normally get more than one of these treatments:

• Surgery. This is to cut out the tumour or cancerous tissue.
• Chemotherapy. This involves ingesting pills or injecting medicines into your veins to shrink the tumour
• Radiation therapy. Uses high-energy rays, similar to X-rays, to kill the cells

It is important to realise that although we have very little control over the main risk factors, we can take precautionary measures to reduce our chances as much as possible. Something as simple as being physically active with a healthy weight (lower BMI) can help individuals tremendously. This is particularly important in postmenopausal women. Staying healthy throughout your life will lower your risk and increase your chances of surviving if it occurs. Regular checkups and examinations with your doctor will help in an early diagnosis of the disease. Treatment can then be commenced immediately, raising your chances of survival.

Works Cited Page

“What Is Breast Cancer?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Sept. 2022, www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/what-is-breast-cancer.htm.

“Ask an Expert: Breast Cancer Growth Rate.” Expert Tips and Advice for Living Your Healthiest Life, Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, 13 Oct. 2022, blog.providence.org/women/ask-an-expert-breast-cancer-growth-rate#:~:text=Breast%20cancer%20has%20to%20divide,for%20two%20to%20five%20years.

“What Are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Sept. 2022, www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/symptoms.htm.

Alkabban, Fadi M. “Breast Cancer.” Edited by Troy Ferguson, StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 26 Sept. 2022, www.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/18564.

“What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Sept. 2022, www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm.

“NIH Study Confirms Risk Factors for Male Breast Cancer.” National Cancer Institute, NCI Press Office, 19 Feb. 2014, www.cancer.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/breastcancermalepoolingstudy#:~:text=The%20elevated%20risk%20observed%20with,cancer%20risk%20in%20postmenopausal%20women.

“What Can I Do to Reduce My Risk of Breast Cancer?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Sept. 2022, www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/prevention.htm.

“How Is Breast Cancer Treated?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Sept. 2022, www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/treatment.htm.

“How Is Breast Cancer Diagnosed?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Sept. 2022, www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/diagnosis.htm.