Introduction

Cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts is known as Breast Cancer. Breast cancer can occur in women and rarely in men. Breast cancer can form in different areas of the breast; the ducts, the lobules, or in some cases, the tissues in between. A lump in the breast, bloody discharge from the nipple, and changes in the shape or texture of the nipple or breast can be the primary symptoms of breast cancer. Let us learn more about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Signs & Symptoms

When you are looking at breast cancer, the signs and symptoms of cancer could go beyond just a lump.

You should get familiar with your breast conditions and be aware of the signs & symptoms. If you find any of the following symptoms relevant to your condition, it is recommended to go through a proper diagnosis to detect if it’s breast cancer.

• A lump or unusual thickening in the breast or underarm area
• A change in color or rash on the skin of the breast
• Unusual nipple discharge
• Swelling of all or part of the breast
• A change in size or shape of the breast
• Itchy, sore or scaling of the nipple
• Dimpling on breast skin or nipple turning inward
• Breast or nipple pain that does not go away
• Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking, or thickened

Diagnosis

Most of the time breast cancer can be found by symptoms, like a lump, thickening of the skin, rash, or inflamed skin. Breast cancer can also be detected by several diagnosis tests, such as a mammogram, ultrasound, or MRI.

Breast Physical Exam:

A breast physical exam is a manual examination of the breasts by a doctor or other health professionals. The physical exam helps a lot in finding lumps that most women may miss with their self-exams.

Biopsy:

A breast biopsy is the best way to detect if a lump or portion of your breast has become cancerous. A biopsy is a medical procedure where a sample of breast tissue is extracted and sent to the laboratory for further testing. A specialized needle device guided by X-ray or another imaging test is used to extract a core of tissue from the suspicious area. A small metal marker is often left at the site within your breast so that the area can be identified later for future imaging tests.

Mammogram:

A mammogram is simply an X-ray picture of the breast. In this procedure, special X-ray images are used to detect abnormal growth or suspicious changes in breast tissues. Initially, a screening mammogram is used to detect breast changes and tumors that cannot be felt in women with no signs or symptoms. However, a diagnostic mammogram can be recommended by the doctor to further evaluate the abnormalities found in screening mammograms. If your mammogram results are normal, continue to take mammograms in recommended time intervals to help doctors diagnose breast cancer earlier.

Breast MRI Scan:

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast or breast MRI test is carried out to detect breast cancer and other breast abnormalities. MRI captures multiple images of your breast, these images are combined on the computer to create detailed pictures.

Breast Ultrasound:

Ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to produce pictures of the internal structures of your breast. It helps in diagnosing breast lumps or other abnormalities detected during a physical exam, a mammogram, or breast MRI.

PET CT Scan:

Positron emission tomography (PET) uses radioactive materials in small amounts that are called radiotracers or radiopharmaceuticals. A special camera and a computer to evaluate organ and tissue functions. This tracer can help identify areas of cancer that an MRI or CT scan may not show.

Treatment

Local Treatment

Local therapy removes cancer from a limited (local) area, such as the breast, chest wall & lymph nodes. It includes surgery, with or without radiation therapy to the breast & nearby lymph nodes.

Breast Cancer Surgery

The objective of breast cancer surgery is to remove the tumor itself and a portion of surrounding tissue while preserving as much of the breast as possible. The method of breast cancer surgery differs with the amount of breast tissue that is taken out with the tumor.

Removing The Breast Cancer (Lumpectomy)

Lumpectomy is a surgery carried out to remove cancer or other abnormal tissues from your breast. In lumpectomy, a surgeon removes the cancer or other abnormal tissue and a small amount of the healthy tissue that surrounds it. This ensures that all of the abnormal tissue is removed.

Removing The Entire Breast (Mastectomy)

In mastectomy, an operation is carried out to remove all of your breast tissue. Most mastectomy procedures remove all of the breast tissue like the lobules, ducts, fatty tissue & some skin, including the nipple & areola.

Removing A Limited Number Of Lymph Nodes (Sentinel Node Biopsy)

To determine whether cancer has spread to your lymph nodes, your surgeon will discuss with you the role of removing the lymph nodes that are the first to receive the lymph drainage from your tumor.

Removing Several Lymph Nodes (Axillary Lymph Node Dissection)

If cancer is found in the sentinel lymph nodes, your surgeon will discuss with you the role of removing additional lymph nodes in your armpit.

Removing Both Breasts

Some women with cancer in one breast may choose to have their other (healthy) breast removed (contralateral prophylactic mastectomy) if you have a very high risk of cancer in the other breast because of a genetic predisposition or strong family history.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-powered beams of energy, such as X-rays protons, to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is typically done using a large machine that aims the energy beams at your body. But radiation can also be done by placing radioactive material inside your body (brachytherapy). External beam radiation of the whole breast is commonly used after a lumpectomy.

Systemic Treatments

Systemic treatments are drugs that spread throughout the body to treat cancer cells wherever they may be. They include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted drugs, and immunotherapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy fast-growing cells, such as cancer cells. If your cancer has a high risk of returning or spreading to another part of your body, chemotherapy may be recommended by doctors after surgery to decrease the chance that cancer will recur.

Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy is used to treat breast cancers that are sensitive to hormones.Doctors refer to these cancers as estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) and progesterone receptor-positive (PR-positive) cancers.

• Medications that block hormones from attaching to cancer cells
• Medications that stop the body from making estrogen after menopause
• Surgery or medications to stop hormone production in the ovaries

Targeted Therapy Drugs

Targeted drug treatments attack specific abnormalities within cancer cells. Targeted therapy drugs that focus on other abnormalities within cancer cells are available.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses your immune system to fight cancer. Your body’s disease-fighting immune system may not attack your cancer because the cancer cells produce proteins that blind the immune system cells. Immunotherapy works by interfering with that process.