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Breast Cancer Cure - Breast Cancer Medicine Drug
TREATMENT CENTERS - SURVIVAL RATE - DRUGS AND MEDICINE - INFORMATION
- ATTORNEYS


Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the breast.[1]
Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer
after lung cancer (10.4% of all cancer incidence, both sexes
counted)[2] and the fifth most common cause of cancer death.[3]
However, among women worldwide, breast cancer is by far the most
common cause of cancer, both in incidence and death.[3] In 2005,
breast cancer caused 502,000 deaths worldwide (7% of cancer deaths;
almost 1% of all deaths).[3] The number of cases worldwide has
significantly increased since the 1970s, a phenomenon partly blamed
on modern lifestyles in the Western world.[4][5]
Breast cancer incidence is much higher in the Western world, whether
in Europe or North America, than in third world countries. North
American women have the highest incidence of breast cancer in the
world.[6] Among women in the U.S., breast cancer is the most common
cancer and the second-most common cause of cancer death (after lung
cancer).[6] Women in the U.S. have a 1 in 8 (12.5%) lifetime chance
of developing invasive breast cancer and a 1 in 35 (3%) chance of
breast cancer causing their death.[6] In 2007, breast cancer was
expected to cause 40,910 deaths in the U.S. (7% of cancer deaths;
almost 2% of all deaths).[7]
In the U.S., both incidence and death rates for breast cancer have
been declining in the last few years.[8][7] Nevertheless, a U.S.
study conducted in 2005 by the Society for Women's Health Research
indicated that breast cancer remains the most feared disease,[9] even
though heart disease is a much more common cause of death among women.[10]
Because the breast is composed of identical tissues in males and
females, breast cancer also occurs in males.[11][12] Incidences of
breast cancer in men are approximately 100 times less common than in
women, but men with breast cancer are considered to have the same
statistical survival rates as women.[13]
Contents [hide]
1 Classification
1.1 Pathologic types
2 Signs and symptoms
3 Epidemiology and etiology
4 Prevention
4.1 Phytoestrogens and soy
4.2 Folic acid (folate)
4.3 Avoiding exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke
4.4 Oophorectomy and mastectomy
4.5 Medications
4.5.1 Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)
5 Screening
5.1 X-ray mammography
5.2 Criticisms of screening mammography
5.2.1 Mammography in women less than 50 years old
5.3 Enhancements to mammography
5.4 Breast MRI
5.5 Breast self-exam
5.6 Genetic testing
6 Diagnosis
7 Staging
8 Treatment
9 Prognosis
9.1 Psychological aspects of diagnosis and treatment
9.2 Racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment
10 Metastasis
11 History
12 Cultural references
13 See also
14 References
15 External links
[edit] Classification
It has been suggested that this section be split into a new
article. (Discuss)
Time line of breast cancer suggesting probable heterogeneity. Primary
breast cancers begin as single (or more) cells which have lost normal
regulation of differentiation and proliferation but remain confined
within the basement membrane of the duct or lobule. As these cells go
through several doublings, at some point they invade through the
basement membrane of the duct or lobule and ultimately metastasize to
distant organs.[14]Breast cancers are described along four different
classification schemes, or groups, each based on different criteria
and serving a different purpose :
Pathology - A pathologist will categorize each tumor based on its
histological (microscopic anatomy) appearance and other criteria. The
most common pathologic types of breast cancer are invasive ductal
carcinoma, malignant cancer in the breast's ducts, and invasive
lobular carcinoma, malignant cancer in the breast's lobules.
Grade of tumor - The histological grade of a tumor is determined by a
pathologist under a microscope. A well-differentiated (low grade)
tumor resembles normal tissue. A poorly differentiated (high grade)
tumor is composed of disorganized cells and, therefore, does not look
like normal tissue. Moderately differentiated (intermediate grade)
tumors are somewhere in between.
Protein & gene expression status - Currently, all breast cancers
should be tested for expression, or detectable effect, of the
estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu
proteins. These tests are usually done by immunohistochemistry and
are presented in a pathologist's report. The profile of expression of
a given tumor helps predict its prognosis, or outlook, and helps an
oncologist choose the most appropriate treatment. More genes and/or
proteins may be tested in the future.
Stage of a tumour - The currently accepted staging scheme for breast
cancer is the TNM classification :
Tumor - There are five tumor classification values (Tis, T1, T2, T3
or T4) which depend on the presence or absence of invasive cancer,
the dimensions of the invasive cancer, and the presence or absence of
invasion outside of the breast (e.g. to the skin of the breast, to
the muscle or to the rib cage underneath).
Lymph Node - There are four lymph node classification values (N0, N1,
N2 or N3) which depend on the number, size and location of breast
cancer cell deposits in lymph nodes.
Metastases - There are two metastatic classification values (M0 or
M1) which depend on the presence or absence of breast cancer cells in
locations other than the breast and lymph nodes (so-called distant
metastases, e.g. to bone, brain, lung).
[edit] Pathologic types
The latest (2003) World Health Organization (WHO) classification of
tumors of the breast[15] recommends the following pathological types:
Invasive breast carcinomas
Invasive ductal carcinoma
Most are "not otherwise specified"
The remainder are given subtypes:
Mixed type carcinoma
Pleomorphic carcinoma
Carcinoma with osteoclastic giant cells
Carcinoma with choriocarcinomatous features
Carcinoma with melanotic features
Invasive lobular carcinoma
Tubular carcinoma
Invasive cribriform carcinoma
Medullary carcinoma
Mucinous carcinoma and other tumours with abundant mucin
Mucinous carcinoma
Cystadenocarcinoma and columnar cell mucinous carcinoma
Signet ring cell carcinoma
Neuroendocrine tumours
Solid neuroendocrine carcinoma (carcinoid of the breast)
Atypical carcinoid tumour
Small cell / oat cell carcinoma
Large cell neuroendocrine carcioma
Invasive papillary carcinoma
Invasive micropapillary carcinoma
Apocrine carcinoma
Metaplastic carcinomas
Pure epithelial metaplastic carciomas
Squamous cell carcinoma
Adenocarcinoma with spindle cell metaplasia
Adenosquamous carcinoma
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma
Mixed epithelial/mesenchymal metaplastic carcinomas
Lipid-rich carcinoma
Secretory carcinoma
Oncocytic carcinoma
Adenoid cystic carcinoma
Acinic cell carcinoma
Glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma
Sebaceous carcinoma
Inflammatory carcinoma
Bilateral breast carcinoma
Mesenchymal tumors (including sarcoma)
Haemangioma
Angiomatosis
Haemangiopericytoma
Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia
Myofibroblastoma
Fibromatosis (aggressive)
Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour
Lipoma
Angiolipoma
Granular cell tumour
Neurofibroma
Schwannoma
Angiosarcoma
Liposarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Osteosarcoma
Leiomyoma
Leiomysarcoma
Precursor lesions
Lobular neoplasia
lobular carcinoma in situ
Intraductal proliferative lesions
Usual ductal hyperplasia
Flat epithelial hyperplasia
Atypical ductal hyperplasia
Ductal carcinoma in situ
Microinvasive carcinoma
Intraductal papillary neoplasms
Central papilloma
Peripheral papilloma
Atypical papilloma
Intraductal papillary carcinoma
Intracystic papillary carcinoma
Benign epithelial lesions
Adenosis, includin variants
Sclerosing adenosis
Apocrine adenosis
Blunt duct adenosis
Microglandular adenosis
Adenomyoepithelial adenosis
Radial scar / complex sclerosing lesion
Adenomas
Tubular adenoma
Lactating adenoma
Apocrine adenoma
Pleomorphic adenoma
Ductal adenoma
Myoepithelial lesions
Myoepitheliosis
Adenomyoepithelial adenosis
Adenomyoepithelioma
Malignant myoepithelioma
Fibroepithelial tumours
Fibroadenoma
Phyllodes tumour
Benign
Borderline
Malignant
Periductal stromal sarcoma, low grade
Mammary hamartoma
Tumours of the nipple
Nipple adenoma
Syringomatous adenoma
Paget's disease of the nipple
Malignant lymphoma
Metastatic tumours
Tumours of the male breast
Gynecomastia
Carcinoma
In situ
Invasive
The classifications above show that breast cancer is usually, but not
always, classified by its histological appearance. Rare variants are
defined on the basis of physical exam findings. For example,
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a form of ductal carcinoma or
malignant cancer in the ducts, is distinguished from other carcinomas
by the inflamed appearance of the affected breast.[16] In the future,
some pathologic classifications may be changed. For example, a subset
of ductal carcinomas may be re-named basal-like carcinoma (part of
the "triple-negative" tumors).[citation needed]
[edit] Signs and symptoms
The first symptom, or subjective sign, of breast cancer is typically
a lump that feels different than the surrounding breast tissue.
According to the Merck Manual, greater than 80% of breast cancer
cases are discovered as a lump by the woman herself.[17] According to
the American Cancer Society (ACS), the first medical sign, or
objective indication of breast cancer as detected by a physician, is
discovered by mammogram.[7] Lumps found in lymph nodes located in the
armpits[17] and/or collarbone[citation needed] can also indicate
breast cancer.
Indications of breast cancer other than a lump may include changes in
breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous
single-nipple discharge. Pain is an unreliable tool in determining
the presence of breast cancer, but may be indicative of other
breast-related health issues such as mastodynia.[7][17][18]
When breast cancer cells invade the dermal lymphatics, small lymph
vessels in the skin of the breast, its presentation can resemble skin
inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).
Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain, swelling, warmth
and redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange peel texture
to the skin referred to as peau d'orange.[17]
Another reported symptom complex of breast cancer is Paget's disease
of the breast. This syndrome presents as eczematoid skin changes such
as redness and mild flaking of the nipple skin. As Paget's advances,
symptoms may include tingling, itching, increased sensitivity,
burning, and pain. There may also be discharge from the nipple.
Approximately half of women diagnosed with Paget's also have a lump
in the breast.[19]
Occasionally, breast cancer presents as metastatic disease, that is,
cancer that has spread beyond the original organ. Metastatic breast
cancer will cause symptoms that depend on the location of metastasis.
More common sites of metastasis include bone, liver, lung and brain.
Unexplained weight loss can occasionally herald an occult breast
cancer, as can symptoms of fevers or chills. Bone or joint pains can
sometimes be manifestations of metastatic breast cancer, as can
jaundice or neurological symptoms. These symptoms are
"non-specific," meaning they can also be manifestations of
many other illnesses.[20]
Most symptoms of breast disorder do not turn out to represent
underlying breast cancer. Benign breast diseases such as mastitis and
fibroadenoma of the breast are more common causes of breast disorder
symptoms. The appearance of a new symptom should be taken seriously
by both patients and their doctors, because of the possibility of an
underlying breast cancer at almost any age.[21]
[edit] Epidemiology and etiology
Main article: Epidemiology and etiology of breast cancer
Epidemiological risk factors for a disease can provide important
clues as to the etiology, or cause, of a disease. The first
case-controlled study on breast cancer epidemiology was done by Janet
Lane-Claypon, who published a comparative study in 1926 of 500 breast
cancer cases and 500 control patients of the same background and
lifestyle for the British Ministry of Health.[22][verification needed][23]
Today, breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, is considered to be
the final outcome of multiple environmental and hereditary factors.
Some of these factors include:
Lesions to DNA such as genetic mutations. Mutations that can lead to
breast cancer have been experimentally linked to estrogen
exposure.[24] Beyond the contribution of estrogen, research has
implicated viral oncogenesis and the contribution of ionizing
radiation in causing genetic mutations.[citation needed]
Failure of immune surveillance, a theory in which the immune system
removes malignant cells throughout ones life.[25]
Abnormal growth factor signaling in the interaction between stromal
cells and epithelial cells can facilitate malignant cell growth. For
example, tumors can induce blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) by
secreting various growth factors further facilitating cancer
growth.[citation needed]
Inherited defects in DNA repair genes, such as BRCA1, BRCA2[26] and
p53.[citation needed]
Although many epidemiological risk factors have been identified, the
cause of any individual breast cancer is often unknowable. In other
words, epidemiological research informs the patterns of breast cancer
incidence across certain populations, but not in a given individual.
The primary risk factors that have been identified are sex,[27]
age,[28] childbearing, hormones,[29] a high-fat diet,[30] alcohol
intake,[31] obesity,[32] and environmental factors such as tobacco
use and radiation.[26]
No etiology is known for 95% of breast cancer cases, while
approximately 5% of new breast cancers are attributable to hereditary
syndromes.[33] In particular, carriers of the breast cancer
susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at a 30-40% increased risk
for breast and ovarian cancer, depending on in which portion of the
protein the mutation occurs.[34]
[edit] Prevention
[edit] Phytoestrogens and soy
Phytoestrogens such as found in soybeans have been extensively
studied in animal and human in-vitro and epidemiological studies. The
literature support the following conclusions:
Plant estrogen intake, such as from soy products, in early
adolescence may protect against breast cancer later in life.[35]
Plant estrogen intake later in life is not likely to influence breast
cancer incidence either positively or negatively.[36]
[edit] Folic acid (folate)
Main article: Folic acid#Folic acid and cancer
The factual accuracy of this article is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.(March 2008)
Studies have found that "folate intake counteracts breast cancer
risk associated with alcohol consumption"[37] and "women
who drink alcohol and have a high folate intake are not at increased
risk of cancer."[38][39][40] A prospective study of over 17,000
women found that those who consume 40 grams of alcohol (about 3-4
drinks) per day have a higher risk of breast cancer. However, in
women who take 200 micrograms of folate (folic acid or Vitamin B9)
every day, the risk of breast cancer drops below that of alcohol abstainers.[41]
Folate is involved in the synthesis, repair, and functioning of DNA,
the bodys genetic map, and a deficiency of folate may result in
damage to DNA that may lead to cancer.[42] In addition to breast
cancer, studies have also associated diets low in folate with
increased risk of pancreatic, and colon cancer.[43][44]
Foods rich in folate include citrus fruits, citrus juices, dark green
leafy vegetables (such as spinach), dried beans, and peas. Vitamin B9
can also be taken in a multivitamin pill.
[edit] Avoiding exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke
Breathing secondhand smoke increases breast cancer risk by 70% in
younger, primarily premenopausal women. The California Environmental
Protection Agency has concluded that passive smoking causes breast
cancer[45] and the US Surgeon General[46] has concluded that the
evidence is "suggestive," one step below causal. There is
some evidence that exposure to tobacco smoke is most problemmatic
between puberty and first childbirth. The reason that breast tissue
appears most sensitive to chemical carcinogens in this phase is that
breast cells are not fully differentiated until lactation.[47]
[edit] Oophorectomy and mastectomy
Prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of ovaries), in high-risk
individuals, when child-bearing is complete, reduces the risk of
developing breast cancer by 60%, as well as reducing the risk of
developing ovarian cancer by 96%.[48]
[edit] Medications
Hormonal therapy has been used for chemoprevention in individuals at
high risk for breast cancer. In 2002, a clinical practice guideline
by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that
"clinicians discuss chemoprevention with women at high risk for
breast cancer and at low risk for adverse effects of
chemoprevention" with a grade B recommendation.[49][verification needed][50][51]
[edit] Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)
The guidelines[clarify] were based on studies of SERMs from the MORE,
BCPT P-1, and Italian trials. In the MORE trial, the relative risk
reduction for raloxifene was 76%.[52] The P-1 preventative study
demonstrated that tamoxifen can prevent breast cancer in high-risk
individuals. The relative risk reduction was up to 50% of new breast
cancers, though the cancers prevented were more likely
estrogen-receptor positive (this is analogous to the effect of
finasteride on the prevention of prostate cancer, in which only
low-grade prostate cancers were prevented).[53][54] The Italian trial
showed benefit from tamoxifen.[55]
Additional randomized controlled trials have been published since the
guidelines. The IBIS trial found benefit from tamoxifen.[56] In 2006,
the NSABP STAR trial demonstrated that raloxifene had equal efficacy
in preventing breast cancer compared with tamoxifen, but that there
were fewer side effects with raloxifene.[57] The RUTH Trial concluded
that "benefits of raloxifene in reducing the risks of invasive
breast cancer and vertebral fracture should be weighed against the
increased risks of venous thromboembolism and fatal stroke".[58]
On September 14, 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration approved
raloxifene (Evista) to prevent invasive breast cancer in
postmenopausal women.[59]
[edit] Screening
Main article: Breast cancer screening
Breast cancer screening is an attempt to find unsuspected cancers.
The most common screening methods are self and clinical breast exams,
x-ray mammography, and breast Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
[edit] X-ray mammography
Mammography is still the modality of choice for screening of early
breast cancer, since it is relatively fast, reasonably accurate, and
widely available in developed countries.
Due to the high incidence of breast cancer among older women,
screening is now recommended in many countries. Recommended screening
methods include breast self-examination and mammography. Mammography
has been estimated to reduce breast cancer-related mortality by
20-30%.[60] Routine (annual) mammography of women older than age 40
or 50 is recommended by numerous organizations as a screening method
to diagnose early breast cancer and has demonstrated a protective
effect in multiple clinical trials.[61] The evidence in favor of
mammographic screening comes from eight randomized clinical trials
from the 1960s through 1980s. Many of these trials have been
criticised for methodological errors, and the results were summarized
in a review article published in 1993.[62]
Improvements in mortality due to screening are hard to measure;
similar difficulty exists in measuring the impact of Pap smear
testing on cervical cancer, though worldwide, the impact of that test
is likely enormous. Nationwide mortality due to cancer before and
after the institution of a screening test is a surrogate indicator
about the effectiveness of screening, and results of mammography are favorable.
Normal (left) versus cancerous (right) mammography image.The U.S.
National Cancer Institute recommends screening mammography every one
to two years beginning at age 40.[63] In the UK, women are invited
for screening once every three years beginning at age 50. Women with
one or more first-degree relatives (mother, sister, daughter) with
premenopausal breast cancer should begin screening at an earlier age.
It is usually suggested to start screening at an age that is 10 years
less than the age at which the relative was diagnosed with breast cancer.
A clinical practice guideline by the US Preventive Services Task
Force recommended "screening mammography, with or without
clinical breast examination (CBE), every 1 to 2 years for women aged
40 and older."[64] The Task Force gave a grade B
recommendation.[49][verification needed]
In 2005, 67.9% of all U.S. women age 4064 had a mammogram in
the past two years (74.5% of women with private health insurance,
56.1% of women with Medicaid insurance, 38.1% of currently uninsured
women, and 32.9% of women uninsured for > 12 months).[65]
[edit] Criticisms of screening mammography
Several scientific groups however have expressed concern about the
public's perceptions of the benefits of breast screening.[66] In
2001, a controversial review published in The Lancet claimed that
"there is no reliable evidence that screening for breast cancer
reduces mortality".[67][68]The Cochrane Collaboration concluded,
"for every 2000 women invited for screening throughout 10 years,
one will have her life prolonged. In addition, 10 healthy women, who
would not have been diagnosed if there had not been screening, will
be diagnosed as breast cancer patients and will be treated
unnecessarily. It is thus not clear whether screening does more good
than harm."[69]
False positives are a major problem of mammographic breast cancer
screening. Data reported in the UK Million Woman Study indicates that
if 134 mammograms are performed, 20 women will be called back for
suspicious findings, and four biopsies will be necessary, to diagnose
one cancer. Recall rates are higher in the U.S. than in the UK.[70]
The contribution of mammography to the early diagnosis of cancer is
controversial, and for those found with benign lesions, mammography
can create a high psychological and financial cost.
[edit] Mammography in women less than 50 years old
Part of the difficulty in interpreting mammograms in younger women
stems from the problem of breast density. Radiographically, a dense
breast has a preponderance of glandular tissue, and younger age or
estrogen hormone replacement therapy contribute to mammographic
breast density. After menopause, the breast glandular tissue
gradually is replaced by fatty tissue, making mammographic
interpretation much more accurate. Some authors speculate that part
of the contribution of estrogen hormone replacement therapy to breast
cancer mortality arises from the issue of increased mammographic
breast density. Breast density is an independent adverse prognostic
factor on breast cancer prognosis.
A systematic review by the American College of Physicians concluded
"Although few women 50 years of age or older have risks from
mammography that outweigh the benefits, the evidence suggests that
more women 40 to 49 years of age have such risks".[71].
A report released November 27, 2007 by the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute showed that the formula doctors use to calculate a
woman's risk of breast cancer underestimates the danger for black
women most of the time and especially for those age 50 and older
the age when they are most likely to benefit from screening
tests and protective drugs, according to the first major reassessment
of the widely used tool.[72]
[edit] Enhancements to mammography
CAD is especially established in US and the Netherlands. It is used
in addition to the human evaluation of the diagnostician.
[edit] Breast MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to detect cancers not
visible on mammograms, but has long been regarded to have
disadvantages. For example, although it is 27-36% more sensitive, it
is less specific than mammography.[73] As a result, MRI studies will
have more false positives (up to 5%), which may have undesirable
financial and psychological costs. It is also a relatively expensive
procedure, and one which requires the intravenous injection of a
chemical agent to be effective. Proposed indications for using MRI
for screening include:[74]
Strong family history of breast cancer
Patients with BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 tumour suppressor gene mutations
Evaluation of women with breast implants
History of previous lumpectomy or breast biopsy surgeries
Axillary metastasis with an unknown primary tumor
Very dense or scarred breast tissue
However, two studies published in 2007 demonstrated the strengths of
MRI-based screening:
In March 2007, an article published in the New England Journal of
Medicine demonstrated that in 3.1% of patients with breast cancer,
whose contralateral breast was clinically and mammographically
tumor-free, MRI could detect breast cancer. Sensitivity for detection
of breast cancer in this study was 91%, specificity 88%.[75]
In August 2007, an article published in The Lancet compared MRI
breast cancer screening to conventional mammographic screening in
7,319 women. MRI screening was highly more sensitive (97% in the MRI
group vs. 56% in the mammography group) in recognizing early
high-grade Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most important
precursor of invasive carcinoma. Despite the high sensitivity, MRI
screening had a positive predictive value of 52%, which is totally
accepted for cancer screening tests.[76] The author of a comment
published in the same issue of The Lancet concludes that "MRI
outperforms mammography in tumour detection and diagnosis."[77]
[edit] Breast self-exam
Breast self-examination (BSE) was widely discussed in the 1990s as a
useful modality for detecting breast cancer at an earlier stage of
presentation. A large clinical trial in China reduced enthusiasm for
breast self-exam. In the trial, reported in the Journal of the
National Cancer Institute first in 1997 and updated in 2002, 132,979
female Chinese factory workers were taught by nurses at their
factories to perform monthly breast self-exam, while 133,085 other
workers were not taught self-exam. The women taught self-exam tended
to detect more breast nodules, but their breast cancer mortality rate
was no different from that of women in the control group. In other
words, women taught breast self-exam were mostly likely to detect
benign breast disease, but were just as likely to die of breast
cancer.[78] In 2003, the American Cancer Society relegated structured
BSE to an 'optional' method of detecting breast cancer, citing self
awareness as more important than structured self exams based on
recent research.[26]
[edit] Genetic testing
A clinical practice guideline by the US Preventive Services Task
Force :[64]
"recommends against routine referral for genetic counseling or
routine breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) testing for women
whose family history is not associated with an increased risk for
deleterious mutations in breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1)
or breast cancer susceptibility gene 2 (BRCA2)" The Task Force
gave a grade D recommendation.[49][verification needed]
"recommends that women whose family history is associated with
an increased risk for deleterious mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes
be referred for genetic counseling and evaluation for BRCA
testing." The Task Force gave a grade B
recommendation.[49][verification needed]
The Task Force noted that about 2% of women have family histories
that indicate increased risk as defined by:
For nonAshkenazi Jewish women, any of the following:
"2 first-degree relatives with breast cancer, 1 of whom received
the diagnosis at age 50 years or younger"
"3 or more first- or second-degree relatives with breast cancer
regardless of age at diagnosis"
"both breast and ovarian cancer among first- and second- degree relatives"
"a first-degree relative with bilateral breast cancer"
"a combination of 2 or more first- or second-degree relatives
with ovarian cancer regardless of age at diagnosis"
"a first- or second-degree relative with both breast and ovarian
cancer at any age"
"a history of breast cancer in a male relative."
"For women of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, an increased-risk
family history includes any first-degree relative (or 2 second-degree
relatives on the same side of the family) with breast or ovarian cancer."
[edit] Diagnosis
This section does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources.
Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Breast cancer is diagnosed by the examination of surgically removed
breast tissue. A number of procedures can obtain tissue or cells
prior to definitive treatment for histological or cytological
examination. Such procedures include fine-needle aspiration, nipple
aspirates, ductal lavage, core needle biopsy, and local surgical
excision. These diagnostic steps, when coupled with radiographic
imaging, are usually accurate in diagnosing a breast lesion as
cancer. Occasionally, pre-surgical procedures such as fine needle
aspirate may not yield enough tissue to make a diagnosis, or may miss
the cancer entirely. Imaging tests are sometimes used to detect
metastasis and include chest X-ray, bone scan, Cat scan, MRI, and PET
scanning. While imaging studies are useful in determining the
presence of metastatic disease, they are not in and of themselves
diagnostic of cancer. Only microscopic evaluation of a biopsy
specimen can yield a cancer diagnosis. Ca 15.3 (carbohydrate antigen
15.3, epithelial mucin) is a tumor marker determined in blood which
can be used to follow disease activity over time after definitive
treatment. Blood tumor marker testing is not routinely performed for
the screening of breast cancer, and has poor performance
characteristics for this purpose.
[edit] Staging
It has been suggested that this section be split into a new
article entitled Breast cancer staging. (Discuss)
Breast cancer is staged according to the TNM system, updated in the
AJCC Staging Manual, now on its sixth edition. Prognosis is closely
linked to results of staging, and staging is also used to allocate
patients to treatments both in clinical trials and clinical practice.
The information for staging is as follows:
TX: Primary tumor cannot be assessed. T0: No evidence of tumor. Tis:
Carcinoma in situ, no invasion T1: Tumor is 2 cm or less T2: Tumor is
more than 2 cm but not more than 5 cm T3: Tumor is more than 5 cm T4:
Tumor of any size growing into the chest wall or skin, or
inflammatory breast cancer
NX: Nearby lymph nodes cannot be assessed N0: Cancer has not spread
to regional lymph nodes. N1: Cancer has spread to 1 to 3 axillary or
one internal mammary lymph node N2: Cancer has spread to 4 to 9
axillary lymph nodes or multiple internal mammary lymph nodes N3: One
of the following applies:
Cancer has spread to 10 or more axillary lymph nodes, or Cancer has
spread to the lymph nodes under the clavicle (collar bone), or Cancer
has spread to the lymph nodes above the clavicle, or Cancer involves
axillary lymph nodes and has enlarged the internal mammary lymph
nodes, or Cancer involves 4 or more axillary lymph nodes, and tiny
amounts of cancer are found in internal mammary lymph nodes on
sentinel lymph node biopsy.
MX: Presence of distant spread (metastasis) cannot be assessed. M0:
No distant spread. M1: Spread to distant organs, not including the
supraclavicular lymph node, has occurred
Summary of stages:
Stage 0 - Carcinoma in situ
Stage I - Tumor (T) does not involve axillary lymph nodes (N).
Stage IIA T 2-5 cm, N negative, or T <2 cm and N positive.
Stage IIB T > 5 cm, N negative, or T 2-5 cm and N positive
(< 4 axillary nodes).
Stage IIIA T > 5 cm, N positive, or T 2-5 cm with 4 or more
axillary nodes
Stage IIIB T has penetrated chest wall or skin, and may have
spread to < 10 axillary N
Stage IIIC T has > 10 axillary N, 1 or more supraclavicular
or infraclavicular N, or internal mammary N.
Stage IV Distant metastasis (M)
Breast lesions are examined for certain markers, notably sex steroid
hormone receptors. About two thirds of postmenopausal breast cancers
are estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and progesterone receptor
positive (PR+).[79] Receptor status modifies the treatment as, for
instance, only ER-positive tumors, not ER-negative tumors, are
sensitive to hormonal therapy.
The breast cancer is also usually tested for the presence of human
epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a protein also known as HER2, neu
or erbB2. HER2 is a cell-surface protein involved in cell
development. In normal cells, HER2 controls aspects of cell growth
and division. When activated in cancer cells, HER2 accelerates tumor
formation. About 20-30% of breast cancers overexpress HER2. Those
patients may be candidates for the drug trastuzumab, both in the
postsurgical setting (so-called "adjuvant" therapy), and in
the metastatic setting.[80]
[edit] Treatment
Main article: Breast cancer treatment
The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery when the tumor is
localized, with possible adjuvant hormonal therapy (with tamoxifen or
an aromatase inhibitor), chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. At
present, the treatment recommendations after surgery (adjuvant
therapy) follow a pattern. This pattern is subject to change, as
every two years, a worldwide conference takes place in St. Gallen,
Switzerland, to discuss the actual results of worldwide multi-center
studies. Depending on clinical criteria (age, type of cancer, size,
metastasis) patients are roughly divided to high risk and low risk
cases, with each risk category following different rules for therapy.
Treatment possibilities include radiation therapy, chemotherapy,
hormone therapy, and immune therapy.
In planning treatment, doctors can also use PCR tests like Oncotype
DX or microarray tests like MammaPrint that predict breast cancer
recurrence risk based on gene expression. In February 2007, the
MammaPrint test became the first breast cancer predictor to win
formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration. This is a new
gene test to help predict whether women with early-stage breast
cancer will relapse in 5 or 10 years, this could help influence how
aggressively the initial tumor is treated.[81]
[edit] Prognosis
This section does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources.
Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
A prognosis is the medical team's "best guess" in how
cancer will affect a patient. There are many prognostic factors
associated with breast cancer: staging, tumour size and location,
grade, whether disease is systemic (has metastasized, or traveled to
other parts of the body), recurrence of the disease, and age of patient.
Stage is the most important, as it takes into consideration size,
local involvement, lymph node status and whether metastatic disease
is present. The higher the stage at diagnosis, the worse the
prognosis. Larger tumours, invasiveness of disease to lymph nodes,
chest wall, skin or beyond, and aggressiveness of the cancer cells
raise the stage, while smaller tumours, cancer-free zones, and close
to normal cell behaviour (grading) lower it.
Grading is based on how cultured biopsied cells behave. The closer to
normal cancer cells are, the slower their growth and a better
prognosis. If cells are not well differentiated, they appear
immature, divide more rapidly, and tend to spread. Well
differentiated is given a grade of 1, moderate is grade 2, while poor
or undifferentiated is given a higher grade of 3 or 4 (depending upon
the scale used).
Younger women tend to have a poorer prognosis than post-menopausal
women due to several factors. Their breasts are active with their
cycles, they may be nursing infants, and may be unaware of changes in
their breasts. Therefore, younger women are usually at a more
advanced stage when diagnosed.
The presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the cancer
cell, while not prognostic, is important in guiding treatment. Those
who do not test positive for these specific receptors will not
respond to hormone therapy.
Likewise, HER2/neu status directs the course of treatment. Patients
whose cancer cells are positive for HER2/neu have more aggressive
disease and may be treated with trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody
that targets this protein.
[edit] Psychological aspects of diagnosis and treatment
The emotional impact of cancer diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and
related issues can be severe. Most larger hospitals are associated
with cancer support groups which can help patients cope with the many
issues that come up in a supportive environment with other people
with experience with similar issues. Online cancer support groups are
also very beneficial to cancer patients, especially in dealing with
uncertainty and body-image problems inherent in cancer treatment.
Not all breast cancer patients experience their illness in the same
manner. Factors such as age can have a significant impact on the way
a patient copes with a breast cancer diagnosis. For example, a recent
study conducted by researchers at the College of Public Health of the
University of Georgia showed that older women may face a more
difficult recovery from breast cancer than their younger
counterparts.[82] As the incidence of breast cancer in women over 50
rises and survival rates increase, breast cancer is increasingly
becoming a geriatric issue that warrants both further research and
the expansion of specialized cancer support services tailored for
specific age groups.[83]
[edit] Racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged
with Epidemiology and etiology of Breast cancer and Breast cancer
treatment (Discuss)
Several studies have found that black women in the U.S. are more
likely to die from breast cancer even though white women are more
likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Even after diagnosis, black
women are less likely to get treatment compared to white
women.[84][85][86] Scholars have advanced several theories for the
disparities, including inadequate access to screening, reduced
availability of the most advanced surgical and medical techniques, or
some biological characteristic of the disease in the African American
population.[87] Some studies suggest that the racial disparity in
breast cancer outcomes may reflect cultural biases more than
biological disease differences.[88] Research is currently ongoing to
define the contribution of both biological and cultural factors.[89][85]
[edit] Metastasis
Most people understand breast cancer as something that happens in the
breast. However it can metastasise (spread) via lymphatics to nearby
lymph nodes, usually those under the arm. That is why surgery for
breast cancer always involves some type of surgery for the glands
under the arm either axillary clearance, sampling, or sentinel
node biopsy.
Breast cancer can also spread to other parts of the body via blood
vessels or the lymphatic system. So it can spread to the lungs,
pleura (the lining of the lungs), liver, brain, and most commonly to
the bones.[90] Seventy percent of the time that breast cancer spreads
to other locations, it spreads to bone, especially the vertebrae and
the long bones of the arms, legs, and ribs. Breast cancer cells
"set up house" in the bones and form tumors. Usually when
breast cancer spreads to bone, it eats away healthy bone, causing
weak spots, where the bones can break easily. That is why breast
cancer patients are often seen wearing braces or using a wheelchair,
and have aching bones.
When breast cancer is found in bones, it has usually spread to more
than one site. At this stage, it is treatable, often for many years,
but it is not curable. Like normal breast cells, these tumors in the
bone often thrive on female hormones, especially estrogen. Therefore
treatment with medicines that lower estrogen levels may be prescribed.
[edit] History
This section does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources.
Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
Breast cancer may be one of the oldest known forms of cancer tumors
in humans. The oldest description of cancer was discovered in Egypt
and dates back to approximately 1600 BC. The Edwin Smith Papyrus
describes 8 cases of tumors or ulcers of the breast that were treated
by cauterization.The writing says about the disease, "There is
no treatment."[91] For centuries, physicians described similar
cases in their practises, with the same sad conclusion. It wasn't
until doctors achieved greater understanding of the circulatory
system in the 17th century that they could establish a link between
breast cancer and the lymph nodes in the armpit. The French surgeon
Jean Louis Petit (1674-1750) and later the Scottish surgeon Benjamin
Bell (1749-1806) were the first to remove the lymph nodes, breast
tissue, and underlying chest muscle. Their successful work was
carried on by William Stewart Halsted who started performing
mastectomies in 1882. He became known for his Halsted radical
mastectomy, a surgical procedure that remained popular up to the 1970s.
[edit] Cultural references
In the month of October, breast cancer is recognized by survivors,
family and friends of survivors and/or victims of the disease.[92] A
pink ribbon is worn to recognize the struggle that sufferers face
when battling the cancer.[93]
Pink for October is an initiative started by Matthew Oliphant, which
asks that any sites willing to help make people aware of breast
cancer, change their template or layout to include the color pink, so
that when visitors view the site, they see that the majority of the
site is pink. Then after reading a short amount of information about
breast cancer, or being redirected to another site, they are aware of
the disease itself.[94]
The patron saint of breast cancer is Saint Agatha of Sicily.[95]
[edit] See also
List of notable breast cancer patients according to occupation
List of notable breast cancer patients according to survival status
List of breast carcinogenic substances
Mammary tumor for breast cancer in other animals
Breast reconstruction
Alcohol and cancer
Mammography Quality Standards Act
National Breast Cancer Coalition
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Breast Cancer Action
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Barron Lerner (Physician)
International Agency for Research on Cancer
The Hormone Foundation
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
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[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Breast cancerWikibooks Sexual Health has a page on the topic of
Cancer#Breast CancerBreast cancer at the Open Directory Project
Breast cancer at the Yahoo! Directory
The Wiktionary definition of Breast cancer.
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