Breast Cancer

ductal carcinoma in situ

Introduction

The carcinoma or cancer of the breast is the most common and sometimes life-threatening malignancy in females. Although it also occurs in men but on very rare instances. Most frequently effected tissues of breast that turn into cancerous growth are ducts and lobules of breast. It is still the major cause of death due to cancers in females after skin malignancy. The growing awareness and screening of breasts lumps or otherwise has helped greatly in fight against this killer disease. This has lead to treatment at earliest stage of breast cancer, which yields best results. This has also greatly improved survival rates of breast cancer patients.

The improvement is attributed to surgical and other therapies of your breast cancer at stage when it has not spread. It is also important to note that diagnosis of your breast cancer at younger age has also been contributory for such remarkable prognosis.

The statistic from US reveal that an estimated 2,25000 females and 2000 males have been newly diagnosed from breast cancer.

Ÿ  Symptoms of breast cancer

You may be diagnosed for breast cancer before any symptom being noticed. Mammography or feeling of lump may disclose that you have cancer in your breast. You may rarely discharge from one breast which may or may not be bloody. Both these situation merit detail investigations. Sudden change of breast texture, redness of skin over your breast or wrinkling may need evaluation.

Ÿ  Types of breast cancer

-           Invasive breast cancer is type which has spread from duct or lobule to other breast tissues. Noninvasive is called breast cancer in-situ. The common types are;

-           Ductal carcinoma in-situ is intraductal breast cancer that is localized to ductal linings.

-           Lobular carcinoma in-situ is located in milk producing cells of breasts.

Both these types of breast cancer although localized may spread to surrounding breast tissue or other parts of your body if untreated.

Breast cancer stages

Causes and Risk factors

Like most of cancers effecting general population, cause of breast cancer have also not been established so far. The basic change in cellular proliferation starts in either the ducts or lobules of  your breast. Excess rate of breast cell growth results in tumor formation. The spread of such cancerous growth from your breast  is not uncommon. Following are the most probable and common risk factor responsible for your breast cancer development;

Ÿ  Age is most relevant factor in your breast cancer development. Although young age females may be effected, but your chances of having cancer of breast increase with age. If you are a woman of 40 years plus, you carry one in 70 chance, whereas at 60 years it becomes as frequent as one in 30 chance in coming ten years. Beyond 50 years your breast cancer may be far advanced at the time of diagnosis.

Ÿ   Being a woman of white race will put you at more risk then African or black colored female. Previous history of breast carcinoma in one  breast will put you at four times more danger of malignant growth in other side or a second cancer in same breast.

Ÿ  Genetic predisposition has great impact in development of your breast cancer. It is estimated that about 5-10% of  breast cancer have genetic links. The risk is carried to you from both sides of family tree. First or second degree relative from father or mother side, any of siblings (mother, sister or daughter) who have or had breast cancer will make your breast cancer chances high. Younger the age the greater the risk. Even if you are a male with rare breast cancer, you may put female member at breast cancer risk. The gene defect is identified and implicated in your breast cancer are BRCA1and BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 1 and 2).

Ÿ  A history of ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer will enhance your breast cancer risk. Even if you have a past removal or treatment for benign breast hyperplasia, fibro adenoma, radial scar that will increase your risk of breast cancer.

Ÿ  Early menarche or late menopause make your breast cancer risk greater through hormonal influence. If your first period started at the age of 12 or you menopause at 55 or beyond have regular check on change in your breast structure for any lump. This has been attributed to your longer exposure female hormones estrogen.

Ÿ  Getting pregnant at earlier than 30 years will reduce your breast cancer risk. But if you are nullipara (never borne a child) during fertile period of life, you will have breast cancer risk at older age.

Ÿ  Hormone DES (diethyl stilbestrol) when given to you during pregnancy to prevent miscarriage, premature labor has been shown to increase breast cancer development chances.

Ÿ  Alcohol consumption of more than 1-2 drinks/day will be a risk in your breast cancer growth. This is influenced possibly through increased estrogen levels. More effected by this risk factor are women at older age group as heavy drinking is more commonly found in older age. It has been studied that your risk of lobular carcinoma is increased by 63% as compared non-alcoholics (Women’s Health Initiative, WHI study 1993-1998).

Ÿ  Exposure to DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) an insecticide, increases your chance of breast cancer.

Ÿ  If you belong to higher socioeconomic group you run more risk of breast cancer development than woman of lower socio strata. As early cessation of breast feeding is more observed in former class than later.

Ÿ  HRT (hormone replacement therapy) will be given to you for your post menopausal symptoms for several years. This will increase risk, if combination preparation of estrogen and progesterone are taken rather than estrogen preparation alone (women’s health initiative study).

Ÿ  Obesity increases your breast cancer development chances. It is shown that taking more fats in your diet somehow put your risk at higher degree.

Ÿ  Exposure to radiation of upper part of chest if done at younger age may bring breast cancer after quite many years. It may be done to treat some kind of cancer like Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Ÿ  Physical inactivity will make you more susceptible to develop breast cancer. A study by Women Health Initiative (WHI) has indicated that regular exercise of 1 ½ hrs- 2 ½ hours will minimize your risk of breast cancer by 15-18%.