Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world. More than 55,000 new cases are registered in the UK every year, and the disease takes the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it affects 266,000 people a year and kills 40,000 people. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer develops from a cancer cell that develops in the lining of a duct or lobule of one of the breasts.
When breast cancer has spread to surrounding breast tissue, it is called “invasive” breast cancer. Some people are diagnosed with carcinoma in situ when the cancer cells have not grown outside the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in women over 50 years of age, but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, although this is rare.
The stage refers to how big the tumor is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage, while stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
Cancer cells are classified from low, meaning slow growth, to high, meaning fast growth. High-grade cancer is more likely to return after the first treatment.
What causes breast cancer?
Cancer begins with a single abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is believed that something damages or changes certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiplies uncontrollably.
While breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase your chance of developing breast cancer, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless swelling in the breast, although most breast tumors are non-cancerous and are fluid-filled cysts that are benign.
The first place breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this happens, you will develop swelling or swelling in your armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: The doctor examines the chest and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammogram, a special x-ray of breast tissue that can indicate the presence of tumors.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you have confirmed breast cancer, additional tests may be needed to see if it has spread. For example, blood tests, liver ultrasound or chest x-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy. A combination of two or more of these treatments is often used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or removal of the affected breast, depending on the size of the tumor.
- Radiation therapy: A treatment that uses high-energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells or stops cancer cells from multiplying. Mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: Treatment of cancer with anti-cancer drugs that kill cancer cells or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormonal treatment. Some types of breast cancer are affected by the “female” hormone estrogen, which can stimulate cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that lower the levels of these hormones or prevent them from working are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is the treatment?
The prognosis is best for those diagnosed with cancer when it is still small and has not spread. Surgical removal of the tumor at an early stage can give a good chance of a cure.
Routine mammograms offered to women in their 50s and 70s means more breast cancers are diagnosed and treated early.
For more information, visit breastcancercare.org.uk, breastcancernow.org or www.cancerhelp.org.uk.