Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women worldwide. Both men and women can develop breast cancer, but women are much more likely to do so.
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is a condition in which the breast cells proliferate out of control. Different areas of the breast might give rise to breast cancer. There are three basic components of a breast: connective tissue, ducts, and lobules. The ducts or lobules are where most breast cancers start.
Blood and lymph vessels are two ways that breast cancer can travel outside of the breast. Breast cancer is said to have metastasized when it spreads to other body regions.
What Are the Types of Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer comes in several forms. Which breast cells develop into cancer determines the type of breast cancer. They can be divided into two groups: invasive and noninvasive. Non-invasive breast cancer also known as breast cancer in situ is contained inside the milk ducts or lobules, whereas invasive breast cancer spreads beyond the ducts/lobules into the surrounding tissues.
Ductal carcinoma in situ– DCIS, also known as ductal carcinoma in situ, is a noninvasive disorder. When you have DCIS, the cancer cells in your breast are contained in the ducts and haven't spread to the surrounding breast tissue.
Lobular carcinoma in situ– A malignancy called lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) develops in your breast's milk-producing glands. The cancer cells have not penetrated the surrounding tissue, like in the case of DCIS.
Invasive ductal carcinoma– Breast cancer of the most prevalent subtype is invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). This form of breast cancer starts in the milk ducts of your breast before spreading to surrounding breast tissue. Breast cancer can start to spread to other neighbouring organs and tissue after it has reached the tissue outside of your milk ducts.
Invasive lobular carcinoma– The invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), first appears in the lobules of your breast, and spreads to adjacent tissue.
Inflammatory breast cancer– An uncommon but deadly form of breast cancer is inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Research estimates that IBC accounts for only 1 to 5 percent of all breast cancer cases. IBC makes your breast expand, look red, and feel very heated. Your breast may resemble an orange peel, with thick, pitted skin. It has a reputation for being aggressive and moving rapidly. This is why it's crucial to call your doctor as soon as you experience any symptoms.
Triple-negative breast cancer– Another invasive breast cancer type is triple-negative breast cancer whose cells don’t have receptors for the hormones oestrogen and progesterone and a protein called Her2. Hence, hormone treatment and the targeted cancer drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) don't work for people with triple negative breast cancer. According to recent studies, around 10 to 15 percent patients are affected by it.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer symptoms include–
- Breast tissue that seems thicker or lumpier than the rest of the breast
- Change in the breast's size and shape
- Alterations to the breast's skin, such as dimpling
- A recently flipped nipple
- Pigmented region of skin around the nipple (areola) or breast skin peels, scales, crusts, or flakes
- Redness or pitting similar to that of an orange
What Are the Stages of Breast Cancer?
According to the size of the tumour and the extent of its spread, doctors classify breast cancer into five primary stages- 0 to 4.
Stage 0 breast cancer
DCIS is stage 0. In DCIS, the cancer cells are still contained in the breast's ducts and haven't invaded any adjacent tissue.
Stage 1 breast cancer
- 1A stage: The primary tumour is not more than 2 centimetres (cm) broad. There is no impact on the lymph nodes.
- 1B stage: Lymph nodes adjacent have cancer. Either the breast is tumour-free or the tumour is less than 2 cm in size.
Stage 2 breast cancer
- 2A stage: It is either less than 2 cm in size and has spread to one to three surrounding lymph nodes, or it is between 2 and 5 cm in size and has not spread to any lymph nodes.
- 2B stage: The tumour is larger than 5 cm and hasn't spread to any lymph nodes, or it is between 2 and 5 cm and has spread to one to three axillary (armpit) lymph nodes.
Stage 3 breast cancer
- 3A stage: The internal mammary lymph nodes have grown larger or the malignancy has migrated to 4 to 9 axillary lymph nodes. Any size primary tumour is possible. Tumour is more than 5 cm. One to three lymph nodes in the axilla or any nodes in the breastbone have developed malignancy.
- 3B stage: Up to 9 lymph nodes may or may not have been infiltrated by a tumour that has spread to the skin or chest wall.
- 3C stage: At least 10 axillary lymph nodes, lymph nodes close to the collarbone, or internal mammary nodes have cancer.
Stage 4 breast cancer (Metastatic breast cancer)
Breast cancer in stage 4 can have tumours of any size. Its cancerous cells have invaded local and far-off lymph nodes, in addition to far-off organs.
Your treatment will be impacted by the results of the tests your doctor does to establish the stage of your breast cancer.
Who Gets Breast Cancer?
Anything that increases your risk of developing breast cancer is considered a breast cancer risk factor. However, having one or more breast cancer risk factors does not guarantee that you will acquire the disease.
The following are some of the elements linked to an elevated risk of breast cancer:
- Being a woman
- Increasing age
- Family history
- Obesity
- Radiation exposure
- Inherited genes
- Beginning of period cycle at an early age
- Women who have never been pregnant
- Previous medical history
- Postmenopausal hormone therapy
- Alcohol
Male breast cancer accounts for under 1% of all diagnoses, yet it can still develop in men.
How to Diagnose Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer diagnostics include the following procedures-
Mammogram screening- Mammogram procedure is a type of imaging exam and is the most popular approach to seeing beneath the surface of your breast. Your doctor will ask for digital mammography if they think you could have a tumour or another problematic location. Annual mammograms are commonly recommended among women over the age of 40 to screen for breast cancer. Your doctor can ask for extra tests if a suspicious spot is discovered on your mammogram.
Ultrasound– Using sound waves, a breast ultrasound can produce a picture of the tissues deep inside your breast. Your doctor can distinguish between a benign cyst and a solid mass, such as a tumour, with the aid of ultrasound.
How Breast Cancer Is Treated?
Treatment for breast cancer and other cancers fall into two broad categories: local treatment and systemic treatment.
Surgery- Surgery and radiation therapy are examples of local treatment that concentrate on removing or directly targeting the tumour.
Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are examples of systemic treatment that combat cancer throughout the body.
Certain medicines, for instance, Herceptin (trastuzumab), a drug that inhibits the creation of the protein HER2, may help reduce the growth of breast cancer cells.
The problems related to breast cancer are becoming more and more widely known. Each year, October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, although many people actively raise awareness all year round. Activities to raise awareness of breast cancer have taught people about risk factors, prevention, symptoms and what kind of screening they should undergo.
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
