BREAST CANCER FACTS
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BREAST CANCER FACTS
BREAST CANCER is the most common cancer among women in both the United Stated and Britain:
Over 40,000 American women die each year out of the 180,000 + or - new cases.
Statistically, women in general have a one in eight or nine chance of developing breast
cancer.
The predisposing factors for this disease are: an immediate family history
of breast cancer, never having borne a child, having had the first child when over 30
years of age, and women who have had their breast feeding suppressed with estrogen
tablets. Of course, these only represent trends; it is quite possible for a woman to
acquire breast cancer even if she has had ten children before the age of 30 and no one in
her family has ever had the disease before. Breast cancer has also been linked to
type of diet, the amount of fat consumed in one's diet and being overweight.
The chance of developing a malignant breast lump increases with age. Roughly speaking, the
outlook is worse for women who develop the tumor before the menopause.
The signs and symptoms of breast cancer are usually a lump found in (or swelling of) the
breast, recent nipple retraction, local skin tethering, nipple bleeding or discharge.
Occasionally women present with back pain and an x-ray of the spine reveals a secondary
deposit from a small previously undetected tumor of the breast. The diagnosis may be
established by one or more of the following investigations: (1) mammography: low-dose
x-rays of the breasts; (2) xeroradiography: x-ray examination producing pictures of the
breast on coated paper (rather than film), like a dry copier; (3) thermography, which
depicts heat patterns of the skin of the breast, showing tumors which have different
temperatures than the rest of the breast tissue; and (4) fine needle aspiration: a few
cells in the lump are looked at by a cytologist after being sucked out using a fine
needle.
The diagnosis is usually confirmed by biopsy under general anesthesia. Despite all the
sophisticated diagnostic facilities available, 80% of all breast lumps biopsied at the
present time are found to be benign. Routine self-examination and screening in Early
Diagnostic Units will help detect breast cancers in their earlier stages, and the chance
of complete cure for early stage disease is excellent. However, many women, fearing
cancer, do not bring their breast lumps to the attention of their doctors until it is too
late to help them.
The correct treatment for advanced breast cancer remains an enigma. In the early stages of
advanced disease, surgical removal, usually by removing the whole breast, can be curative.
In more advanced cases, treatment is not so well established. The mortality rate for
breast cancer not much different today, as it was when records began in the first English
cancer hospital well over a hundred years ago. Modern treatment has increased survival
length but not greatly improved the mortality rates. Many multicenter trials throughout
the world are taking place to discover the best form of management.
Some oncologists believe that if the lymph node drainage system of the breast is involved
and the tumor cannot be shown to have spread elsewhere in the body, a radical
mastectomy-removing the breast and chest muscles underneath (along with all the nearby
lymph nodes)- should be performed. Others would give postoperative radiation therapy. Some
just remove the malignant lump ("lumpectomy") and then irradiate the remaining
breast. Chemotherapy used in conjunction with surgery or radiation therapy (or both) can
benefit some patients, but it is far from being completely satisfactory.
It is well established that some cancers of the breast are hormone sensitive, so that if
the patient's sex hormone status is changed the tumor may well regress. This can be
achieved by giving anti-estrogen tablets or by removing the ovaries of premenopausal women
(oophorectomy) with or without removing their adrenal glands (adrenalctomy) and pituitary
gland (hypophysectomy).
Advanced breast tumors frequently spread to bone and lungs, and local radiation therapy to
these deposits can bring temporary relief to pain.
The mastectomized woman is usually supported by trained personnel who will ensure that she
is fitted with a false breast (prosthesis) shortly after the operation; later on, in some
cases, it is possible to insert a plastic prosthesis under the skin. Despite the immediate
support of her nurses, mastectomy counselors, husband and family, the mastectomized woman
will often feel mutilated and that feeling may never leave her. In the majority of cases,
however, as her confidence returns, the scar fades; and the initial resentment fades with
it as she realizes that, with each passing year of survival, she has cheated this dreadful
killing disease.
Every oncologist will have many sad stories to tell of women who left it too late for
seeking help from a doctor after they have found breast lumps. It is hoped that all women
will learn to check their breasts for lumps routinely and to seek prompt medical advice
the moment they detect something suspicious.
Ultimately, personal vigilance and early detection remain a woman's best weapons in the war against cancer.
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Disclaimer
This information is not intended to be medical advice or scientific in nature and is based
solely on information from many sources and is presented as general information for
historical purposes only. Anyone considering an option to undergo any type of
elective surgery or medical procedure or having any health concerns should perform
extensive research and consult with their physician before deciding upon a course of
action.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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