Breast cancer, a common but highly curable disease
Breast cancer is a scary thought and all too many women assume that it won’t happen to them. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are over 50, but younger women can also get the disease.
About one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. However, there’s a good chance of recovery if it’s detected in its early stages. Cure rates now range from 80 to 90 per cent, if the patient is diagnosed and treated with advanced options in early stages. Breast cancer is not limited to females; in rare cases, men can also be afflicted with this cancer.
Types of breast cancer
There are several different types of breast cancer, which can develop in different parts of the breast. It is often divided into non-invasive breast cancer (carcinoma in situ) and invasive breast cancer.
Non-invasive breast cancer is found in the ducts of the breast (ductal carcinoma in situ, DCIS)
and hasn’t developed the ability to spread outside the breast. It’s usually found during a mammogram and rarely shows as a breast lump.
Invasive breast cancer, on the other hand, usually develops in the cells that line the breast ducts (invasive ductal breast cancer) and is the most common type of breast cancer. It can spread outside the breast to other parts of the body, usually through the bloodstream or the axillary lymph nodes. If this happens, it’s known as secondary, or metastatic, breast cancer. However, most patients will not have the spread of the cancer at the time of diagnosis, and these people have highest chance of cure.
The exact causes of breast cancer aren’t fully understood. However, there are certain factors known to increase the risk of breast cancer. These include: age, the risk increases as you get older; a family history of breast cancer; a previous diagnosis of breast cancer; a previous benign breast lump; being overweight or obese; and excessive use of alcohol.
Symptoms
Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or an area of thickened breast tissue. Most breast lumps aren’t cancerous, but it’s always best to have them checked by your doctor.
You should also see your GP if you notice any of the following: a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts; discharge from either of your nipples, which may be streaked with blood; a lump or swelling in either of your armpits; dimpling on the skin of your breasts; a rash on or around your nipple; and a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast.
Breast pain isn’t usually a symptom of breast cancer, particularly in the early stage of the disease; hence, females should not avoid the evaluation of breast lumps that are painless.
After examining your breasts, your general physician may refer you to a specialist breast cancer clinic for further tests. This might include breast screening (mammography) or a biopsy or more detail tests like CT/MRI/PETCT scan before planning any treatment.
If cancer is detected at an early stage, it can be treated before it spreads to nearby parts of the body. Breast cancer is treated using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Surgery is usually the first type of treatment you’ll have, followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy or, in some cases, hormone or biological treatments. The type of surgery and the treatment you have afterwards will depend on the type of breast cancer you have.
In a small proportion of women, breast cancer is discovered after its spread to other parts of the body (metastatic breast cancer). Metastatic cancer isn’t curable, so the aim of treatment is to achieve remission (symptom relief) with help of different chemotherapeutic options.
As the causes of breast cancer aren’t fully understood, at the moment, it’s not possible to know if it can be prevented. If you’re at increased risk of developing the condition, some treatments are available to reduce the risk.
Although there are no definite conclusions, there are benefits for women who: maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, and have a low intake of saturated fat and alcohol.
Mammographic screening, where X-ray images of the breast are taken, is the most commonly available method of detecting an early breast lesion. However, you should be aware that a mammogram might fail to detect some breast cancers. Women with a higher-than-average risk of developing breast cancer may be offered screening and genetic testing for the condition.
As the risk of breast cancer increases with age, all women who are older than 40-50 years should undergo regular breast cancer screenings.