Breast cancer
BREAST CANCER
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, contributing 25-33% of all female cancers.
-The lifetime risk for women of being diagnosed with breast cancer is currently 1 in every 8 women
What are the risk factors for breast cancer?
1-Female gender
2- Increasing age
3- Family history of breast cancer
4-Previous diagnosis of breast cancer
5-Early menarche, late menopause
6- Not having children
7- Having a first child after the age of 30
8- Hormone replacement therapy
9- Oral contraceptive pills
10-Obesity
11-Alcohol consumption
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT CAN DECREASE THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER?
1-Full-term pregnancy at a young age
2-Breast feeding
3-Regular exercise
4-Healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables
WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF BREAST CANCER?
1- Breast lump: Usually painless and accidentally felt
2- Any change in breast skin appearance especially redness or thickening
3- Any change in the appearance or shape of the nipple especially inward retraction, eczema-like appearance, or bloody nipple discharge
HOW IS BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSED?
Breast cancer is diagnosed by 3 main steps:
[1] Clinical examination done by the doctor
[2] Breast imaging includes the following options:
- Mammogram
- Breast Ultrasound
- MRI
- Initial imaging is usually done by a combining mammogram with a breast ultrasound
- Young women (below 30 years) can start by ultrasound only
- MRI can be used in some cases when mammogram and ultrasound alone are not conclusive.
[3] Taking a biopsy of the tumor
- This is usually done with local anesthesia guided by ultrasound
- The biopsy taken is then examined by the pathologist to diagnose cancer and determine its type
- Determining the type of breast cancer is the main step to deciding the optimal treatment protocol
How is the stage of breast cancer determined?
- Breast cancer staging is determined according to 3 main factors
(1) Size of the breast tumor and its relation to overlying skin and underlying muscles
(2) Whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes under the arm
(3) Whether cancer has spread to other body organs like the liver, lung, bone, or brain.
What are the available treatment options for breast cancer?
- There are several treatment options, including:
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiotherapy
Hormonal therapy
Targeted therapy
Immunotherapy
- Treatment plan is decided according to the tumor type and stage
