Breast Cancer - Causes, Symptoms, Types, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Precautions

What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer develops when your breast cells grow out of control. These are often present in the form of breast lumps.

Sometimes you might get it even without an obvious lump. Abnormal discharge from the breast and changes in the breast skin are other signs. These are not strictly restricted to women; anybody can have them, both male and female.

Genetics, hormones, lifestyle, and environmental factors do have an influence on the development of breast cancer.

Doctors might advise mammograms, biopsies, or ultrasounds for diagnosing breast cancer and its stage. If diagnosed at the early stage, you will have a better prognosis and recovery possibilities.

Chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy are the treatment possibilities. Treatment is chosen based on how advanced the breast cancer is.

What Are the Causes of Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer develops when breast cells change and become cancerous, dividing uncontrollably to form tumors. However, the reason behind these changes is still not completely understood. A few risk factors have been recognized that can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. Here are some of them:

• Age: Risk increases as you age, which is why breast cancer is especially common among those above 55 years.

• Gender: Women and girls assigned female at birth (AFAB) have an incredibly high probability in comparison with males and children who are assigned male at birth (AMAB).

• Family History: If anybody in your family has had breast cancer, be it your parents, siblings, or children, it increases your risk.

• Genetics: Inherited genetic changes, like BRCA1 (Breast Cancer gene) and BRCA2, are found to be the cause for roughly 15 percent of cases. So such genetic changes, so-called mutations, can raise your risk further. Genomic testing for breast cancer will help you identify whether you have such mutations or not.

• Smoking: Tobacco use is related to an increased risk of breast cancer.

• Alcohol Consumption: Research indicates that consuming alcohol may raise breast cancer risk.

• Obesity: Being obese is another known risk factor.

• Exposure to Radiation: If you have ever received radiation, especially in the head, neck, or chest region, it increases your risk.

• History of Hormone Replacement Therapy: Your risk for breast cancer will be higher if you have had a history of hormone replacement therapy.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer?

The various signs and symptoms that are associated with breast cancer are:

• Changes in the appearance or shape of the breast.

• The difference in the size of the breasts.

• Inverted nipple.

• A lump in the breast that feels very thick and different from the nearby tissues.

• Redness of the skin on the breast.

• Crusting and pigmentation of the skin that surrounds the nipple.

What Are the Types of Breast Cancer?

There are different types of breast cancer. They are:

• Angiosarcoma: It is a type of cancer that forms on the lining of the blood vessels. Its occurrence in the breast is quite infrequent. It might occur deeply in the tissues. The site of radiation therapy is the most common site for angiosarcoma.

• Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS): DCIS is an abnormal cancer that can occur in the ducts of the breast. It is usually categorized as low risk.

• Inflammatory Breast Cancer: It is an inflammatory condition of the breast caused by obstruction of the lymphatic vessels. It can spread to all the nearby tissues and lymph nodes.

• Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: This type of cancer can spread rapidly and profusely. There are different types of invasive lobular carcinoma. They are:

  • Tubular carcinoma.

  • Papillary carcinoma.

  • Medullary carcinoma.

  • Adenoid cystic carcinoma.

  • Mucinous carcinoma.

• Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS): This condition is difficult to diagnose because it cannot be identified in a mammogram. In such cases, a biopsy might be required.

• Male Breast Cancer: It is the rarest of all breast cancers. People who belong to an older age are known to be affected. An earlier diagnosis can help with ideal treatment options.

• Paget's Disease of the Breast: This cancer is known to start in the nipples of the breast.

• Recurrent Breast Cancer: This breast cancer can recur after the cancer has been treated at the site.

What Is Self-Examination for Breast Cancer?

You can have a quick self-examination at home to look for breast cancer. Periodic self-examination of your breasts helps detect any sort of abnormalities in your breasts at the earliest. It is pretty simple, and you can do it all by yourself with absolutely no cost.

• Remove all your clothing and start looking at your breasts in front of the mirror. Make sure your arms, shoulders, and hips are straight. Observe any changes in size, shape, and color.

• If there is no visible swelling, check for any soreness, rashes, redness, or swelling. The change in position of the nipple should also be noted. You are supposed to raise both your arms and look for the same changes.

• Check for any fluid secretions from one or both nipples. These secretions could be yellow fluid, blood, watery, or milky secretions.

• Another method you can use is to lie down flat on a bed or floor.

• Use your right hand to feel the left breast. You can do a soft compress on the nipple and the breast. Slowly try to cover the entire breast from side to side and top to bottom.

• You can also move your finger in smaller or larger circles. Look for any lumps or changes in the breast. Perform this same procedure for the right breast using the left hand.

• If you find anything unusual or any kind of abnormalities, get it consulted with a doctor right away.

• It is noted that many women feel comfortable touching their skin in their breasts when it is slippery and wet. So, you can take a bath to identify any lumps. If you are comfortable with self-examining your breasts while sitting or standing, you can choose to do so. There are no hard and fast rules for that.

What Should You Do When You Find a Lump?

• Stay Calm: Keep in mind that most women have one or multiple lumps in their breasts almost all the time. They are non-cancerous and do not cause any problems. So, if you find a lump in your breast, the first thing you have to do is to stay calm. Panicking over the lumps will cause stress and abnormal changes in the hormones. This can cause other health issues.

• Visit Your Doctor: You should not hesitate to consult your doctor immediately. It is good to know whether the lump in your breast is benign or malignant. If you are in your menstrual cycle, please wait for it to pass. Completion of the menstrual cycle might cause the disappearance of the changes in the breasts in some people. If the changes stay the same even after your menstruation, you must visit a gynecologist or health care provider.

How Is Breast Cancer Diagnosed?

Diagnosis of breast cancer requires the following procedure.

• Mammogram: A mammogram basically functions as an X-ray. It can screen for the abnormalities present in your breast. There are several indications and contraindications associated with mammogram procedures. You have to get recommendations from your doctor before going for this procedure.

• Examination of the Breast: The doctor will touch and feel the breast to identify the presence of lumps or any other abnormalities in your breast.

• Ultrasound of the Breast: The presence of lumps in the breast or any solid mass can be detected with ultrasound. High-frequency sound waves are used in the procedure to detect abnormalities in your breast.

• Biopsy: Biopsy is the most recommended method for making a confirmatory diagnosis of breast cancer. In a biopsy, a specialized needle is used with the guidance of an X-ray. A part of the suspected tissue is collected and checked for microscopic examination. The presence of any abnormal cells or rapid proliferation of the cells can be identified with the help of a biopsy. The cells also help in grading breast cancer.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan: MRI is a procedure that uses high-energy radio waves and a magnet to visualize the deeper tissues of the breast. Before going to the breast MRI procedure, specific dyes are injected.

The diagnosis of breast cancer also requires staging of the cancer. This will help understand how progressed breast cancer is, which is important for formulating a proper treatment plan. To stage breast cancer, the following techniques might be necessary.

• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan.

• Bone scan.

• Computed tomography.

What Are the Treatment Options for Breast Cancer?

The various treatment options for breast cancer are:

• Lumpectomy: It is a procedure in which the lumps of the breast are removed by conserving the normal tissues surrounding the lumps. A tiny margin of the surrounding tissues is removed for clinical purposes.

• Mastectomy: It is a procedure in which the complete tissue of the breast is removed. These are of two types: total mastectomy and simple mastectomy.

• Sentinel Node Biopsy: In this procedure, the lymph nodes that are affected by cancer are removed.

The other procedures that are recommended for breast cancer are radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drug therapy.

What Are the Treatment Side Effects?

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy used for breast cancer treatment can usually cause side effects like fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy have also been shown to cause some gastrointestinal problems in the form of constipation and diarrhea. Also, breast cancer treatment can impact fertility.

Breast cancer treatments may vary in response to different individuals. If people are on treatment, they need to consult the healthcare provider and find out how this might affect them, including what effects it would have on their daily activities.

Also, they can ask for palliative care. Palliative care is primarily aimed at easing symptoms of breast cancer and minimizing side effects caused by the treatments so that patients are as comfortable as possible with their treatment process.

What Are the Precautionary Measures to Be Followed to Prevent Breast Cancer?

Even though women are at high risk for breast cancer, we can reduce the risk by following certain preventive tips:

1. Physical Exercise: Keep yourself active by engaging in sports activities or minimal physical work. Maintaining a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) will keep you away from various health issues.

2. Balanced Diet: Checking your weight after menopause is very important. If an individual is overweight, it increases the chances of cancer. Therefore, it is good to follow a healthy diet plan. Frequent small meals are also advisable.

3. Avoid Alcohol: A habit of regular drinking can increase your risk of cancer. So, avoiding alcohol, along with smoking, can increase your lifespan.

4. Avoid Hormonal Replacement Therapy: Hormone replacement therapy focuses on artificially inducing progesterone and estrogen. Usage of contraceptive pills and any other medications for controlling the menstrual cycle can cause severe alterations in hormone levels. Consumption of these medications should be avoided until your doctor recommends that you do so. You can make use of other contraceptive devices like condoms or intrauterine devices to control birth.

5. General Tips: Women who delay their first child even after the age of thirty suffer a higher risk for breast cancer. Breastfeeding has mutual benefits for both the mother and the child. Consider all these factors, and you can plan your living accordingly. Having a full-term pregnancy can also reduce the risk of breast cancer. You can perform exercises to have a healthy, full-term vaginal delivery.

Conclusion:

Breast cancer is a condition that can affect the breasts. Even young girls might be affected. Breast cancer does not always need to appear with an obvious lump. Sometimes you may find just some kind of changes in your breast skin. Several awareness programs are conducted throughout the world to make people understand the early changes. Due to the self-diagnosis and early diagnosis, a great decline in the rates of breast cancer has already been noted.

Key Takeaway From iCliniq:

• Breast cancer develops from uncontrolled breast cell growth.

• It is more likely to develop in females, but males do develop it, though rarely.

• Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy are the key treatment options.

• If you have any abnormal or unusual changes in your breast, you can consult with an oncologist in iCliniq.