Sunday, February 04, 2007

Breast Cancer

What is Breast Cancer ?
Breast cancer is malignant (cancerous) tumor that start from cells of the breast. Almost all breast cancer occur in women, very few occur in men. The cancer usually begins as a small lump in a breast and then grows, either slowly or quickly. A women breast is made up of glands that make breast milk (lobules), ducts (small tube that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple), fatty and connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymph vessels. Lymph vessels are like veins, except that they carry lymph fluid instead of blood. Most lymph vessels of the breast lead to lymph nodes under the arm. These are called axillary nodes.

How serious is Breast Cancer ?
Breast cancer is potentially a very serious condition and can be life-threatening. There are ways to minimum affect of breast cancer, the following are :
1. Self examination is important and women should check their breast regularly. If there are any changes in size or shape, lumps, tenderness or nipple discharge then a healthcare professional should be consulted.
2. Early detection of breast cancer is therefore vital as it increases the chances of succesful treatment.
3. Community screening programmes and mammograms are key to early detection and are integral tools in the fight against breast cancer.

What the main types of Breast Cancer ?
Here are the most common types of breast cancer :
1. Carcinoma in situ : This is used for early stage cancer, when it is confined to the place where it started. In breast cancer, it means that the cancer is confined to the ducts or the lobules, depending on where it started. It has not gone inti the tissues in the breast nor spread to other organs in the body.
2. Ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS) : The most common type of noninvasive breast cancer. DCIS means that the cancer is confined to the ducts. It has not spread through the walls of the ducts into the tissue of the breast. Nearly all women for this stage can be cured and the besy way to find DCIS early is with mammogram.
3. Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS) : Begins in the milk-making glands but does not go through the wall of the lobules. Although not a true cancer, having LCIS increasis a women risk of getting cancer later.
4. Invasive (infiltrating) Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) : This is the most common of breast cancer. It starts in a milk passage or duct, breaks through the wall of the duct, and invades the tissue of the breast. It can spread to other parts of the body.
5. Invasive(infiltrating) Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) : It starts in the milk glands or lobules and also can spread to other part of the body.

How do you get Breast Cancer ?
Although the exact causes of the breast cancer have yet to be identified, the risk increases gradually with age and for certain people there may be a family hereditary component.
1. Three quarters of women who develop it after the menopause.
2. Some other things are known to increase the risk such as early puberty/late menopause, not having children or having a first child after the age of 30 years.

How is Breast Cancer treated?
Typically, treatment of breast cancer will involve surgery followed by a combination of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and radiation.
1. Surgery : removal of the lump (lumpectomy) is the preferred technique. Removal of the breast ((mastectomy) is only performed if absolutely necessary.
2. Chemotherapy : medicines that interfere with cancer cell growth and division are administered to reduce the size of tumors or kill them.
3. Hormonal therapy : hormones are chemical signals which are released by different parts of the body and can carried in the blood to some other area to have an effect. Oestrogen is a sex hormeno that promotes the growth of some breast cancer. Hormonal treatments, such as anti oestrogens, anomatase inhibitors or LHRH analogues, are designed to block the effects of oestrogen or its production, which stop or slows the growth of cancer cells.