According to Clark and Fallowfield (2002), breast cancer covers a wide variety of disease patterns. A malignant tumor is the most common characteristic of breast cancer. Some patients normally feel a lump in their breast while others react by becoming ill with the disease spreads elsewhere in the body. There are different types of breast cancers that affect the breast (Hunt et al, 2007). These include intraductal carnicoma (referred to as Ductal carnicoma in situ), which is the most common type of breast cancer. Additional breast cancer types are Lobular carnicoma in situ, the Invasive ductal carniocma and the Invasive lobular carnicoma (Hunt et al., 2007). Diagnosis for breast cancer involves a thorough physical exam. In case, a lump is discovered, a mammogram is performed to verify the presence of the lump(Hunt et al., 2007). In certain cases, the lump may be removed for further lab analysis to confirm the diagnosis.
Initially, breast cancer starts out as a small lump and grows rapidly (Hunt et al., 2007).. Lumps and masses will form on the breast. In addition, these lumps are harder compared to the surrounding tissue. Consequently, these lumps cause hardening of the nipples since they interrupt ducts that lead to the nipples. If unnoticed, breast cancer can spread to other body part especially the liver and the lungs. This results to the dysfunction of these body organs.
Current Statistics on Breast Cancer
Research indicates that breast cancer affects most women than men. Breast cancer is regarded as the second leading cause of cancer death in women (American Cancer Society, 2012). It is believed that about 12 percent of women in the states will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime (American cancer Society, 2012). Recent estimates by the American Cancer Society (2012) indicate that there will be about 226,870 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women. 63,300 new cases in women will be for the carcinoma in situ breast cancer, an about 39,510 women will die because of breast cancer. Current breast cancer survivors in the states are estimated to be about 2.6 million (American Cancer Society, 2012).
Treatment of Breast Cancer
The two main types of treatment applied in breast cancer treatment are local therapy and systematic therapy (American Cancer Society, 2012). Local therapy involves the use of radiation therapy and surgery, whereas, in situations where drugs are used, the treatment is referred to as systematic therapy. In systematic therapy, the drug can be orally given or fed directly to the bloodstream to reach cancer cells that are in the body. Some of these methods include hormone therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Additional treatment done to patients after surgery is referred to as adjuvant therapy. This treatment helps in suppressing the cancer cells from growing again. In some instances, certain treatment is given prior to surgery for purposes of reducing the tumor to allow less surgical operation to be done by doctors. This form of treatment is referred to as neoadjuvant therapy.
Surgery for breast cancer treatment involves breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy(American Cancer Society, 2012). Breast conserving surgery entails removal of only the tumor component of the breast. The portion of the breast removed during this surgery depends on the position and extent of the tumor. A common method of breast-conserving surgery is lumpectomy, which is the removal of the breast lump alone. If more tissue is to be removed, then the surgery is referred to as quadrantectomy.
Mastectomy, on the other hand, is a surgical method that involves the elimination of the whole breast. In simple mastectomy, the entire breast is removed even the nipple. However, the underarm lymph nodes under the breast are not removed. In skin-sparing mastectomy, majority of the skin over the breast is left to allow for instant reconstruction of the breast.
References
American Cancer Society, (2012). Breast Cancer. Retrieved from
http://documents.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003090-pdf.pdf
Clark, A. and Fallowfield, L. (2002). Breast cancer: Experience of Illness. New York:
Routledge.
Hunt, K.K, Robb, G.L., Strom, E.A. and Mendelsohn (2007). Breast Cancer. New York:
Springer.
