Disclaimer:

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women

• No longer the leading cause of death from cancer in females.
• ONE out of TEN women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.
• Not every swelling (lump) in the breast is cancer

Cancer and its causes

• The body is made up of very small cells
• Normal cells grow and die in a controlled way
• Sometimes that control is lost and the cells keep dividing and growing to form what is called a Growth Or Tumor

If the Tumor does not invade nearby tissue it is called non-cancerous or benign tumor

• Benign Tumors are rarely life threatening but some can have undesirable effects.
• If the Tumor invades and destroys nearby cells it is called a Cancerous Tumor.
• Cancerous cells can also spread to different parts of the human body.
• Lymphatic system or blood stream.

Where the cancer has started can usually be located but it is more difficult in many cases to indentify the exact cause of the cancer

• Cancer always arises as a result of changes that occur in the genetic materials in the cells.
• Abnormal cells lose control over cell growth.
• Changes in the genetic materials can occur due to many causes:
• hereditary, infections, exposure to chemicals, drugs, tobacco and many other factors.

Breast Anatomy

• Breast Contains
• Fatty tissue
• Glands
• The lymphatic system drains lymph from the breast into the auxiliary lymph nodes (armpit)

Signs and Symptoms

• Early breast cancer has no symptoms
• Later as it grows it may cause a lump which will be felt by the patient
• Discharge from the nipple can also be a symptom of breast cancer
• Most breast cancer is discovered either by self-exam or mammography

Diagnosis

• When breast cancer is detected and confirmed by biopsy, surgery is usually the next step in most cases.
• During the surgical procedure the surgeon usually checks the Auxiliary lymph nodes for the presence of cancerous cells
• Many pathological tests will follow including microscopic tests, Hormonal tests, and other more advanced testing.

Staging of Breast Cancer

• A stage is an indication of how widely spread the cancer is.
• Staging usually involves a surgical procedure and some additional tests to determine the type of cancer and if it has spread or not.
• Treatment recommendations are based on the stage of the cancer.
• Stages are on a scale of zero-4, lower number indicates an earlier stage of the cancer
• Stage zero breast cancer indicates duct carcinoma in situe (DCIS)
• cancer is only in the duct.

Surgery

• Most breast cancers are removed surgically
• The extend of the procedure depends on the size of the cancer and if it has spread to the axial or not.
• The goal of breast cancer surgery is to remove the cancer completely from the breast and determine if the cancer has spread to the axial or not and how many lymph nodes are involved.

Multi-modality Team Approach

• Multi-specialty Team Members:
• Breast surgery specialist
• Oncologist
• Radiation Oncologist
• Plastic Surgeon
• Genetic specialist (if recommended)

Don't Hesitate to Call Our Center For Any Questions

• There are multiple options to treat breast cancer
• Management of breast cancer is one of the fields
• in which you will find a lot of advancements from research and clinical trails.