What is Breast Cancer?
Cancers occur when abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way. Almost all breast cancers occur in women - very few occur in men.
The cancer usually begins as a small lump in a breast and then grows, either slowly or quickly.
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It can also spread to other parts of the body after a period of time. Early diagnosis is the key to survival.
In fact, most lumps in the breast are not cancers, they are benign and don't spread to other parts of the body. However, every lump in the breast needs careful checking by a healthcare professional.
* Tumours can therefore be described as benign or malignant.
* Benign tumours do not spread, but malignant tumours, as in breast cancer, are made up of cells that can spread to and damage other parts of the body.
How do you get Breast Cancer?
Although the exact causes of breast cancer have yet to be identified, the risk increases gradually with age and for certain people there may be a family hereditary (genetic) component.
* Doctors know that 1 in 10 women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives.
* Three-quarters of women who develop it do so after the menopause.
* Some other things are known to increase the risk such as early puberty/late menopause, not having children or having a first child after the age of 30 years.
* The risk can actually be lower if you have a short menstrual life, large family or first child before age 18 years.
How serious is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is potentially a very serious condition and can be life-threatening.
* Early detection of breast cancer is therefore vital as it increases the chances of successful treatment.
* Community screening programmes and mammograms are key to early detection and are integral tools in the fight against breast cancer.
* Self-examination is also important and women should check their breasts regularly. If there are any changes in size or shape, lumps, tenderness or nipple discharge then a healthcare professional should be consulted.
How long does Breast Cancer last?
Doctors know that breast cancer develops in phases from early to advanced stages (when it has spread to other organs). The earliest stage may have taken only a few weeks to develop before it is detected. Early treatment, possibly involving surgery and radiation combined with drug treatment, is very important and will probably take several months. Hormone therapy may then be continued for a longer period.
If a tumour is malignant this can form new tumours that doctors call a recurrence, secondaries or metastases.
* The common places for breast cancer to spread are the bones (back or hips), the lungs, the liver and sometimes the brain
* Recurrences do not occur in every woman who has had breast cancer and they do not occur in all of the places mentioned, usually only one place is affected.
How is Breast Cancer treated?
Typically, treatment of breast cancer will involve surgery followed by a combination of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and radiation. However, treatment can vary greatly from patient to patient depending on the stage of the cancer and whether recurrence has occurred.
* Surgery: Removal of the lump (called a lumpectomy) is the preferred technique. Removal of lymph nodes in the armpit may be undertaken as well. Removal of the breast (called a mastectomy) is only performed if absolutely necessary.
* Chemotherapy: Medicines that interfere with cancer cell growth and division are administered to reduce the size of tumours or kill them.
* Hormonal therapy: Hormones are chemical signals which are released by different parts of the body and can carried in the blood to some other area to have an effect. Oestrogen is a sex hormone that promotes the growth of some breast cancers. Hormonal treatments, such as anti-oestrogens, aromatase inhibitors or LHRH analogues, are designed to block the effects of oestrogen or its production, which stops or slows the growth of cancer cells.
* Radiation therapy: X-rays or other high-energy rays are applied to the tumour and surrounding areas to destroy cancer cells.
