Knowing that you have breast cancer is not easy. The emotions attached to the diagnosis can be hard to accept. However, it is important to remember that out of all the cancers detected in women, breast cancer is the most common one.
Being equipped with the right kind of knowledge can help you navigate your way through the maze of dealing with the disease. And that’s what we want to do today.
Let’s understand certain aspects of this disease today.
Breast cancer is when breast cells mutate to become cancerous cells that multiply and develop into tumours. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women not only in Malaysia but across the world. However, it does not affect women only. Even men are sometimes diagnosed with this disease.
Usually, it develops in women aged 50 and above, however, it can affect younger women too.
The most common symptoms of breast cancer include:
Breast cancer can be of different types based on where it starts. The more common types of breast cancer are:
A very common type of breast cancer, this cancer starts in the milk ducts and spreads to nearby breast tissue.
This kind of breast cancer starts in the lobules, the milk-producing glands and sometimes spreads to the nearby breast tissue. This kind of breast cancer is also quite common.
This breast cancer also starts in the milk ducts but does not spread beyond the milk ducts.
This is an aggressive breast cancer that spreads more quickly than other kinds.
This is a rare kind of breast cancer which is quite fast-growing and looks like a rash on the breast.
Another very rare form of cancer, this affects the skin around the nipple and looks like a rash.
Breast cancer is also divided into subtypes based on the status of protein molecules in or on the cells’ surfaces known as receptor cells. They attach to or attract certain substances in the blood including hormones like oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones help the cancerous cells to grow. Hence healthcare providers aim to find out if cancerous cells have oestrogen and progesterone to plan the breast cancer treatment pathway.
Based on the hormone status, breast cancer is divided into the following subtypes:
One of the primary things to know concerning breast cancer is the staging of the disease. Staging can have a direct impact on how serious your cancer is and in turn, your prognosis. The lower the number, the less the cancer has spread and the less serious the cancer is. However, it is important to remember that everyone’s experience of breast cancer is different and has to be treated differently.
The most commonly used staging system for breast cancer is the one recommended by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Known as the TNM system, this is based on:
Pathologic stage or surgical stage, determined by examining the tissue removed during surgery.
Clinical stage is where surgery is not possible. This stage is determined based on examination, biopsy and imaging tests.
The clinical stage is primarily used to design the treatment plan. However, if the cancer has spread further than the clinical stage, then the pathologic stage is used to determine the stage correctly.
7 key things are considered in both the staging systems:
Based on these 7 factors, the stage of the cancer is determined. Staging based on the first 3 factors is easier. Staging becomes more complex once the rest of the four factors are included.
The T category refers to the size of the tumour and whether it has spread to the skin or chest wall under the breast. The higher the T number, the larger the tumour or wider it has spread. The categorisation is as follows:
This categorisation reflects the extent of spread to the lymph nodes near the breast and if yes, how many lymph nodes are included. This staging is based on how the lymph nodes look under the microscope. The categorisation under N categories is as follows:
This categorisation refers to the extent to which the cancer has spread to distant organs.
So, what causes breast cancer? The exact causes of breast cancer are not really known. Well, researchers have found that several factors increase the risk of breast cancer such as lifestyle choices, hormones or other environmental things. In general, it is a complex combination of genetics and the things around you.
In general, when breast cancer starts, the DNA inside the cells change and gives instructions to the cells to grow and multiply. This results in cancer cells developing too quickly while healthy cells continue to die. This leads to too many cancer cells in the body.
Sometimes the cancer cells develop into a mass called a tumour. The tumour can grow, invade and destroy healthy body tissue. With time, cancer cells spread to other parts of the body. A cancer that has spread is known as metastatic cancer.
Several factors can increase the risk of someone getting breast cancer. These are:
When it comes to breast cancer, early detection is key. Diagnosing cancer at an early stage means that it hasn’t spread too much or the tumour is not too large. This improves the prognosis significantly.
Spotting cancer at an early stage can make a world of difference to survival and hence it is important to tell your doctor as soon as you notice any of the symptoms or feel something is wrong with your breast.
Early screening will help to detect diseases, take control of your health with our Women’s Wellness Screening Package.
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