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McKesson Clinical Reference Systems: Women's Health Advisor 2002.2
Spanish version
Breast Cancer
What is breast cancer?
When abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, they are called
cancers. Cancer of the breast is one of the most common
cancers in women.
Four out of five breast cancers occur in women over age 50.
Very few breast cancers occur in men.
Breast cancer is a treatable and curable disease. Early
detection is the key to a cure. The cancer usually starts
as a small lump. However, with time the lump may grow and
spread to nearby areas, such as the skin or the lymph nodes
under the arm. In time, the tumor may spread to vital
organs such as the liver, brain, lungs, and spine. If
breast cancer is found early, before it spreads, it can
often be cured.
How does it occur?
The cause of breast cancer is not known. Any woman can get
breast cancer, but some women are more likely to develop it
than others. Factors that increase your risk of having
breast cancer include:
- having a mother or sister with breast cancer
- starting menstruation at a young age or going through
menopause in your 50s
- being over age 50
- never having given birth or having your first child after
age 30
- a history of radiation exposure to the area of the
breasts
- hormone (estrogen) replacement therapy
- excessive use of alcohol
- obesity.
There is currently no definite evidence that taking birth
control pills for a long time causes breast cancer.
What are the symptoms?
Most often the first sign of breast cancer is a lump in the
breast. The lump is found most often in the upper, outer
part of the breast. It is not usually painful. It may grow
slowly or quickly.
Other signs of breast cancer include:
- color change, dimpling, or puckering of the skin in an
area of the breast
- a change in the size or shape of the breast
- fluid discharge from the nipple
- lumps felt in the armpit.
How is it diagnosed?
Most women find their own breast cancers, either
by accident or from a breast self-exam. Sometimes breast
cancers are found at a health checkup or on a screening
mammogram.
Mammograms can detect some cancers before a lump can be
felt. They detect about 90% of cancerous lumps. Mammograms
are also used to check lumps you or your health care
provider may have found in a physical exam.
Most breast lumps are not cancer. Often they are
fluid-filled cysts in the breast tissue that get larger and
smaller with the menstrual cycle. But every lump must be
checked. They will be checked with a mammogram and
possibly also:
- a breast exam by a health care provider
- ultrasound scan
- a needle or surgical biopsy.
These tests should be done even if the lump is not seen on
the mammogram.
When you have a needle biopsy, you are given a local
anesthetic to numb the area of your breast being tested.
Then your health care provider inserts a needle into the
breast lump and withdraws fluid or tissue from the lump. If
fluid fills the needle, the lump is a cyst and not cancer.
Removing the fluid also makes fluid-filled lumps go away.
Tissue withdrawn by the needle will be examined in the lab.
If you have a surgical biopsy, your health care provider
will give you an anesthetic, make a cut in the breast, and
remove some or all of the lump. This breast tissue will be
examined under a microscope. If the biopsy sample shows
cancerous tissue, tests may be done to see if hormones make
the cancerous cells grow more. The estrogen receptor (ER)
test is one of these tests. You may have another procedure
to remove lymph nodes from your armpit to see if cancer has
spread beyond the breast. This procedure is called axillary
node dissection.
How is it treated?
If a breast lump is cancerous, the decisions for treatment
will be made by you and your health care provider. A
surgeon or oncologist (cancer specialist) may also be
consulted. Treatment decisions will take into account:
- your age
- the stage of development of the cancer
- the type of cancer
- whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other
parts of your body.
Possible surgical treatments are lumpectomy (removing the
cancerous tissue only) or mastectomy (removing the entire
breast). Lymph nodes in the armpit area may also be
removed. Other possible treatments are radiation therapy,
chemotherapy (anticancer drugs), and hormone therapy. These
different treatments may be used singly or in combination.
If you are considering mastectomy, you should discuss the
options for breast reconstruction surgery with your surgeon.
How can I take care of myself?
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer:
- Discuss your cancer and treatment options with your
health care provider so that you understand them. Do not
hesitate to get a second opinion.
- Tell your health care provider if your treatment causes
discomfort. Usually there are ways to relieve the
discomfort.
- Get regular checkups after your treatment is
finished.
- Continue monthly self-exams, even if both your breasts
have been removed, to look for recurrence of the cancer.
There are many support services for women with breast
cancer. You can find the names of groups and agencies from
your health care provider or through your local American
Cancer Society office.
Breast cancer survival continues to improve. As more women
do regular self-exams, more cancers are found early. As
mammograms and other screening methods improve, more cancers
are being detected before they can even be felt. Finding
and treating breast cancer early greatly increases your
chances of survival and cure.
To help detect breast cancer early:
- Do a breast self-exam every month.
- Have a breast exam by your health care provider at least
once a year.
- Have a mammogram every year after age 50.
- Never ignore a lump or change in the look or feel of your
breast. Remember that a cancerous tumor is usually not
painful.
Research suggests that regular exercise may help prevent
breast cancer. Exercise regularly and stay fit.
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