Breast cancer

Breast cancer is cancer that occurs in breast tissue. This type of cancer usually occurs in women. Although men can also be affected, but very unlikely. Treatment for Breast Cancer this is by surgery, followed by chemotherapy or radiation. 

SYMPTOMS:

Women with breast cancer, may suffer the following symptoms. Sometimes even in his body has been growing cancer she did not feel any symptoms.

If a woman has symptoms below and feel very worried, you should immediately see a doctor.

As for the signs or symptoms include:

• There is a hard lump in the breast
• Nipples changed shape (can be entered into, or persistent sore), remove the fluid or blood
• There are changes in the breast skin including wrinkles, irritation, such as orange peel
• presence of small lumps
• There is a wound in the breast are difficult to heal
• Breast feels hot, reddened and swollen
• Ache (can also hurt because it's not cancer, but still have to watch out for)
• It felt very itchy in the area around the nipple
• A hard lump that does not move (fixed). and usually in early-initially painless
• If the lump is cancerous, initially usually only on one breast

CAUSES OF BREAST CANCER:      

Is not known, can only be marked in women who have risk factors below:

• Age over 30 years (now, under 20 years has also been found to breast cancer)
• There are family history of breast cancer (now this is also not absolute because no family history can also be affected)
• Have a history of tumor
• Menstruation too young or menopause over age 50 years
• Not married / not breastfeeding
• Gave birth to her first child over the age of 35 years
• Frequently exposed to radiation (Can of frequent medical examination by means of X-ray)
• A diet with excessive fat consumption
• obesity
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Getting long-term hormonal therapy
• stress
• Genetic factors (BRCA1/BRCA2)

How diagnose breast cancer ??            

Doctors use a variety of ways to diagnose breast cancer and to determine whether there was metastasis to other organs. Some tests are also useful to determine the most effective treatment for patients. Mostly on the type of cancer, a biopsy (taking a bit of tissue, for examination under a microscope, performed by a pathologist) is the only way to determine with certainty the diagnosis of cancer. If the biopsy is not possible, the doctor will suggest other tests to help diagnosis. Imaging test could be used to discover whether metastasis has occurred.

The doctor will consider the following factors, when it will decide a diagnostic test:

• Age and medical condition of patients
• type of cancer
• severity of symptoms
• The results of previous tests

Test diagnosis of breast cancer usually begins when women or doctors found a mass or abnormal hardening (a small point of calcium, usually seen at the time of the X-ray), the screening mammogram. Or it could be something that is not normal in a woman's breast was found on clinical examination or the examination itself. Some tests may be performed to confirm the diagnosis of breast cancer. Not everyone will be conducted throughout the test below:

IMAGING TEST:

Diagnostic mammography.

Same with screening mammography only on this test more pictures can be taken. Normally used in women with signs, such as nipple discharge or There are new lumps. Diagnostic mammography may also be used if something suspicious is found during a screening mammogram.

Ultrasound (USG)

An ultrasound examination is to use high frequency sound waves to obtain images of the breast tissue. This high sound waves can distinguish a solid mass, the possibility of cancer, and cysts filled with fluid, which likely was not cancerous.

MRI

MRI uses magnetic, rather than X-rays, to produce images (picture) detail of the body. MRI can be used, if once a woman has been diagnosed with cancer, then to check the other breast MRI can be used. But this is not absolute. Could also for screening only. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), women who have a high risk of developing breast cancer, such as for example in women with BRCA gene mutation or multiple family members affected by breast cancer, you should also get an MRI, along with mammography. MRI is usually better to see a collection of small mass in the breast that may not be visible on ultrasound or mammogram. Especially in women who have dense breast tissue. MRI weaknesses also exist, sometimes dense tissue seen on MRI as non-cancerous, or even MRI can not show a dense network as in situ breast cancer will be performed to verify the biopsy.

TEST WITH SURGERY  

biopsy

A test may indicate the possibility of cancer, but only a biopsy can provide a definite diagnosis. Samples taken from the biopsy, were analyzed by a pathologist (a specialist who is an expert in translating laboratory tests and evaluating cells, tissues, organs to determine the disease) 

• Image guided biopsy used when a suspicious lump is not palpable. It can be done by Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB, uses a small needle to to take a sample of tissue). Stereotactic Core Biopsy (using X-ray to determine the tissue to be taken) or Vacuum-Assisted Biopsy (using a thick needle to take some kind of core network wide). In doing this procedure, a needle biopsy to get to the area in question, assisted by mammography, ultrasound or MRI. Small metal clip may be placed on the part of the breast biopsy to be performed. In this case if it proves the existence of cancerous tissue, then immediately held an additional operation. The advantage of this technique is that patients only need one operation to determine the treatment and determine the stage.
• Core Biopsy can determine the network. FNAB can determine the cell of a palpable mass, and these can then be analyzed to determine the presence of cancer cells.
• Surgical Biopsy (Biopsy by surgery) takes a large amount of tissue. This could incisional biopsy (taking a portion of the lump) or excisional (take the entire lump).

When diagnosed with cancer, further surgery may be required to obtain clear margins area (the area surrounding the tumor tissue which has been confirmed clear of cancer cells) are likely to, take all network nodes.

Tissue obtained from biopsies will also be on the test by a doctor to determine treatment. Test it to see:

• The characteristics of the tumor. Whether the tumor is invasive (usually spread) or In situ (usually does not spread). Ductal (in the milk ducts) or lobular (in the mammary gland). Grade (how different the cancer cells from healthy cells) and whether cancer cells have spread to the blood vessels or lymph vessels.The margins of the tumor were also observed.
• Estrogen receptor (ER) and Progesterone Receptor (PR) test.Breast cancer cells when this receptor is known positive for ER (+) and PR (+) means the cancer cells are growing because of these hormones.Hormone therapy is usually held .
• Test HER2-neu. (C-erb2). The presence of excessive protein HER2. Average 25% of cancer patients. By knowing the HER2 status (positive or negative) can then be determined whether the patient will be treated with a drug called trastuzumab (Herceptin) or not.
• Genetic Description of the Tumor.Test by looking at elements of the tumor biology, to understand more about breast cancer. Oncotype DX is a test to measure how far the risk of recurrence.

BLOOD TEST
Blood tests are also needed to further explore the condition of cancer.All the tests that include:

• Level Hemoglobin (HB): to find out the amount of oxygen present in red blood cells
• Hematocrit Level: to know the percentage of red blood in the whole body
• The number of white blood cells: to help fight infection
• The number of platelets (to help blood clotting)
• Differential (percent of some white blood cells)      

Total Alkaline Phosphatase    

High amount of enzyme which could indicate the spread of cancer to the liver, bile ducts and liver and bone.

SGOT & SGPT  

This test to evaluate liver function. High numbers of one of these tests indicate damage to the liver, it could be a signal the spread to the liver

TUMOR MARKER TEST  

To see if there is a type of chemical found in blood, urine or body tissues. With the number of tumor markers that are too high or too low from their normal values​​, indicating the existence of an abnormal process in the body.  Can be caused by cancer, may also not. In the breast cancer tumor marker CA 15.3 is usually done by taking blood samples. In Prodia standard tumor markers may not exceed the figure of 30

OTHER TESTS 

Other tests are usually done for breast cancer are:

• Photo Thorax To find out whether there was spread to the lungs
• Bone Scan To find out whether the cancer has spread to the bone. In bonescan, patients injected radioactive tracer in a vein.Which will be assembled on the show abnormalities due to bone cancer. wine between the injections and the implementation of the bone scan approximately 3-4 hours. during which patients are encouraged to drink as much as possible.Results are visible is a complete bone-sectional images of the front and rear. Bone showed abnormalities will look darker than normal bone.
• Computed Tomography ( CT or CAT ) Scan. To view a detailed location of the tumor. Here patients are also injected radioactive tracer in a vein, but more so that the actual volume is equal to the infusion. Once injected CT-scan can be done immediately. CT-scan will create three-dimensional images inside the body taken from different angles. The result will look cross-sectional images of body parts are scanned 3 dimensions.
• Positron Emission Tomography ( PET ) scan. To see if the cancer has spread.In PET scans of glucose containing radioactive fluid is injected in patients.Cancer cells will absorb faster the liquid glucose, compared to normal cells.Contrasting color so it will be seen on PET scans. PET scans are commonly used as a complement to data from the CT scan, MRI and physical examination      

 SOURCE : Translated from kankerpayudara.wordpress.com