Breast Cancer
...is to keep breast cells growing normally and to prevent any cancer cell growth. But when these genes contain abnormalities, or mutations, they are associated with an increased breast cancer risk. Abnormal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may account for up to 10% of all breast cancers. Women diagnosed with breast cancer who have an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene often have a family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or both. But it's also important to remember that most women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Identifying BRCA1 and BRCA2 has led to new techniques for lowering detecting and treating breast cancer and lowering the risk for the disease. For women who wish to be tested, we can now establish whether the two genes are normal or not. But there's still a lot more to learn about these genes. And other genes probably also play a role in the development of breast cancer, for women both with and without a family history of the disease. A person that is diagnosed with breast cancer should not be worried, because many people recover from it. Improvements in breast cancer detection have helped to limit the harmful potential of this disease (Hirshaut 33). About 83 % of women survive breast cancer, as shown by recent 5-year survival statistics. As we can see from this statistics a person that has breast cancer is not guaranteed that he or she will be the one of the 83 % but it does show that cases of beating breast cancer are very good. If breast cancer is detected in its early stages then the chances of complete recovery are even greater (Hirshaut 34). A person can discover if he or she has breast cancer by doing a routinely check for breast lumps. However, women have greater chances of finding it than men do. Women should check for breast lumps right after their period each month, if they have irregular periods the should do the self-exam on the same day of every month. The best way to examine breast for lumps is by raising one hand straight up and touching the breast with the other. You have to be on a lookout for lumps that stand out, nipple discharge, changes in skin texture, unusual tenderness, and differences from the last time you checked (Hirshaut 34). There are some cancer clues that women are most likely to miss, such as the areas around the nipples and in the armpit. The American Cancer Society predicts that about 187, 200 new case of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in the year 2006, 5 % of which will be men. This is considered to be a small number for the men since women have a one on eight chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime (Pressman 27). “Over the last 5 years, patients have benefited from many advances in breast cancer treatment. Breast conservation - the saving of the breast - has increased enormously because of early diagnosis and the widespread use of mammograms (x-rays of the breast). In addition, new anti-cancer drugs such as palliate (Taxol) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and show promise in the treatment of people with advanced disease. The progress made in breast cancer detection and treatment is perhaps best reflected by mortality (death rate) figures. United States statistics show that breast cancer mortality decreased significantly between 1992 and 1996 - with the largest decline seen in younger women. Therefore, although breast cancer is a major concern among American women, it can be managed successfully. The following sections will explain the causes and treatment of breast cancer, as well as some of the methods used to overcome the far-reaching effects of this disease.” (Pressman 27-28) There are different types of breast cancer, some might be less sever then the other. Paget’s Disease is cancer of the areola and nipple and inflammatory carcinoma is a highly malignant cancer that accounts for nearly all remaining types of breast cancer (Arnot 138). Often breast tumors are discovered at an early stage, when they are still small and confined. In such cases, cancer cells have not grown into the surrounding tissues and remain within the borders of a duct or lobule (Arnot 138-139). These tumors that are detected so early on is not because of a self examination, because the lumps are so tiny they can not even be felt, but because of a mammography, a breast x-ray (Arnot 139). Itraductul carcinoma contains breast duct cells that have malignant characteristics when they are viewed under a microscope. Although by definition the intraductul carcinoma has no yet invaded the surrounding tissues, the abnormal cells within it may be the forerunners of invasive breast cancer (Arnot 139). Some surgeons and experts are still undecided and continue to debate weather to treat this sort of breast cancer by some form of breast-conserving surgery, with or without radiation, or by mastectomy. Non-Invasive lobular carcinoma usually occurs in women who have not undergone menopause. It is a disease, located in more then one area, that typically affects both breasts, because of this disease women suffering from it should receive careful examinations of both breasts (Arnot 139-140). Paget’s disease is a slow-growing cancer of the nipple, which usually strikes middles aged women and may occur in association with an underlying invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast (Arnot 140). Paget’s disease arises in the ducts beneath the nipple and then grows onto the nipple itself. Because the tumor may cause crustiness, oozing, and itching of the areola and nipple, sometimes it is incorrectly diagnosed as eczema or another skin condition. Yet Paget’s disease is distinguished by the fact that it does not involve the surrounding skin and typically is limited to one breast (...