Breast Cancer Treatment

1. What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that originates from breast tissue. Malignant tumor itself is a group of cancer cells which invade the surrounding tissues; it can also spread to other parts of the body which are not directly related to the affected area.

2. How does it occur?

This disease is caused by the mutation or abnormal changes in our genes which trigger the overgrowth of cancerous cells. What normally happens in our body is that when old cells die, they are replaced with new ones. If a genetic mutation occurs, the cells rapidly grow and multiply out of control to form a tumor. The malignant tumor is what we call cancer.

3. What are the warning signs?

One of the most common symptoms of the disease is the presence of a lump in the breast. Abnormal lumps can also be found in the lymph nodes of the armpit. Other symptoms include the change in size, shape, and tenderness of the breast, inversion of the nipple, skin dimpling, and bloody or clear discharge from the nipple.

4. I have breast cancer history in my family. Can I inherit the disease?

Every woman or man can be affected by the disease regardless his or her family history. Although indeed family history increase your risk of getting the cancer, in fact, only 10-15% of all breast cancer cases are believed to be caused by inherited gene mutation. About 80% of women who are diagnosed with the disease do not have family history of the disease.

5. What factors can increase my risk of getting the cancer?

The disease may be caused by many factors including sex, age, race, as well as childbearing and breastfeeding. Women aged 55 or older or those who give birth for the first time after the age of 30 have higher chance of getting the cancer. In the U.S., Caucasian women are also more prone than African American women. On the other hand, women from Native American, Asian, and Hispanic origins have lower risk.

6. Does it also occur in men?

The disease can also occur in men, although very rarely. However, breast cancer cases in men tend to be more serious due to late diagnosis.

7. I am diagnosed with this cancer recently. Can it be cured? What are my odds of surviving?

The chance of survival from the disease depends greatly on what stage it is at. The earlier it is detected, the more likely it can be cured. Thanks to modern medical technology, new diagnostic techniques offer more accurate diagnosis. A patient may undergo treatments such as hormone therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery depending on the type and stage of the cancer.

Breast cancer is caused by various risk factors, and one of them is the mutation of two genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. People who inherit these genes from either their mother or father are more prone to the disease than those who don’t. Thus it is essential for you undergo BRCA gene test if you are likely to inherit these genes. This test is a blood test to check for any mutations in the DNA. From the breast cancer DNA testing, you will know whether you indeed inherit the mutation and the estimation of your risk of developing the cancer.Remember, early detection is the key to successful treatment.

Preparation

If you have been identified as a candidate for this test, there are some preparations that you need to do before the taking the test. First, you have to make an appointment with a genetic counselor to discuss about the test, such as the risks, benefits and limitations. He or she will then examine your family and medical history, estimate the risks, and summarize your options. Before meeting the counselor, it is important to get more info on your family’s medical history as well as your personal medical history. Write down some questions related to the test and you can also ask your family member to accompany you during the consultation session. After the consultation, you have the right to decide whether to take the test or not.

Steps of The Breast Cancer DNA Testing

A doctor will take a sample of your blood for testing. The sample will be sent to the laboratory to analyze the DNA and this process will take several weeks. When you have received the test result, meet your counselor to discuss about it.

Expected Results

There are three possible test results, namely positive, negative or uncertain. If your test result is positive, it means that there is a harmful mutation in the genes so that you have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. To reduce the risk, you can increase the frequency of screening (e.g. have clinical breast exam every 6 months instead of once a year), try using oral contraceptives, take preventive medication (chemoprevention), or undergo preventive surgery. If the test result is negative, it means that there is no BRCA gene mutation. However, it is still difficult to draw a conclusion about your risk of developing the cancer. A negative result doesn’t mean you are not at risk of having nonhereditary breast cancer.

Risks

When you undergo a BRCA gene mutation test, the risks that you will face are related mostly to financial, emotional or social implications. If your test shows positive result, you may feel anxiety, sadness, anger or other negative feelings. It can also create a strain on family relationship due to the familial genetic mutation. It is also possible that the result can lead to insurance discrimination.

There are four stages of breast cancer, from stage 1 to stage 4. In stage 1, the cancer is least severe and the chance of recovery is still high. However, at stage 4, the malignant tumor has spread to other parts of the body (such as the lungs, skin, bones, liver, brain, or distant lymph nodes) and is very difficult to cure. Thus, this stage is also known as advanced or metastatic stage. The cancer might be already at the advanced stage when it is first discovered, but it can also be a reappearance of previous breast cancer that has already affected other parts of the body. It is a very serious condition and requires focused treatments. Stage 4 breast cancer prognosis involves the prediction of outcome and the chance of survival that are based on other patients’ experiences. Here are the prognosis factors of a stage 4 breast cancer:

1. The first factor is the survival tendency. As a matter of a fact, the five-year survival rate for patients suffering from metastatic breast cancer is only 20 percent. Thus, the aim of the treatment is a long term survival of the patient, since the cancer at this stage is incurable.

2. Hormonal factors also play an important role. Estrogen and progesterone that can be found in birth control medications or hormone replacement therapy can actually cause the cancerous cells to grow. A hormone receptor status test will show whether or not any of these hormones are causing the growth of the malignant tumor. If the patient is estrogen receptor positive (ER+) or progesterone receptor positive (PR+), the cancer should respond well to hormone suppression treatments. Moreover, the three-year survival rate for ER+/PR+ patients reaches 97 percent while the survival rate for ER-/PR- patients is only 83 percent.

3. Histology is another important factor since it determines the degree of aggressiveness of the disease by identifying the types of cancer cells found in the tumor. For instance, the type of breast cancer known as tubular adenocarcinoma is considered as the most survivable. On the other hand, inflammatory breast cancer is very aggressive and the five-year survival rate for stage 4 is only about 11 percent.

4. Other factors that affect the stage 4 breast cancer prognosis and survival rates are the areas in which the cancer has spread, the size of the tumor, age and race factor, genetic history, response to treatment such as chemotherapy, biological therapy, clinical trials, medications, radiation therapy and surgery.