Breast Cancer Disease

Breast cancer is a frightening specter for every woman. In fact, from year to year the number of sufferers is growing. In Indonesia, breast cancer ranks second of the type of cancer that strikes women. Breast cancer can also be about men, though very rarely. Only about 1%. Actually, if the cancer? Any lumps that occur in our bodies, for various reasons (excessive cell growth, impact / trauma, etc.) is called a tumor. The tumor itself is benign, those that are malignant. A malignant tumor is called cancer. Cancer has a distinctive character, which is composed of malignant cells, which can spread to other parts of the body. The spread is called metastasis and may occur through blood vessels or lymph vessels.

Causes and Risk Factors

The exact cause of breast cancer is not known, but there are some circumstances that are considered to increase breast cancer risk factors. Nevertheless, that does not mean they do not have risk factors, cannot develop breast cancer.

Risk factors for breast cancer include:

* Having a family member with breast cancer (mother, grandmother, sister)
* Mens first at a young age, late menopause
* Women who do not have children, or gave birth to her first child at age> 30 years.
* Once there is a tumor / breast cancer before
* Getting long-term hormone replacement therapy
* Other factors: obesity / high fat intake, excessive alcohol consumption, genetic mutations

Some myths about breast cancer:

A. Breast cancer is only about old-age women

This myth is not true, breast cancer can occur at any age. Indeed, the risk is higher in older age. However, this paradigm began to shift.

2. If someone has a risk factor, then he must have had breast cancer.

This myth is not true, even if someone had the greatest risk factor though, there is still a possibility he did not get breast cancer. Similarly, in people who have no risk factors, could have been affected by breast cancer.

3. The use of deodorants / antiperspirants can cause breast cancer

This myth is not true. To date, no study can prove that the use of antiperspirants can cause breast cancer

Breast Examination

For the detection of breast cancer do:

A. BSE (check your own breasts)

Examination should be done after the menstrual period is completed. Prior periods (7-10 days after the first day of menstruation), slightly swollen breasts, making it hard examination.

Here's how:

a. Abnormalities in the breast look like:

* The lump
* Scaly skin around the nipple
* The nipples of blood / other fluids
* The hollow of the breast skin / like an orange peel
* Changes in the shape / size

b. If no visible abnormality, perform the checks again by:

Medical examination, Breast examination regularly by medical personnel (doctors)

2. Examination Support

Breast examination with supporting tools such as mammography, ultrasound, biopsy

Mammography is a breast examination by a tool and a way of checking a simple, painless and only takes 5-10 minutes. The best time to undergo screening mammography is the week after menstruation. The trick is to put the breast in turn between two sheets of the base, and then X-rays are made from top to bottom and from left to right. The results of this photo will be reviewed by a radiologist. A lump of 0.25 cm was visible on the mammogram.

Women aged 40-49 years should be checked every 2 years, whereas age> 50 years, should be checked regularly every year.

Ultrasound: Ultrasound examination of the breast, rather than for screening purposes, but to be sure. USG tools must also be specific.

A biopsy is minor surgery to remove tissue samples from lumps, and then examined under a microscope anatomic pathology laboratory

Prognosis

Called the prognosis is a picture of the severity of an illness. There are several factors that determine good or poor prognosis in breast cancer. Among others:

* Stage of cancer
* Status node
* Preview histology
* Menopausal status and hormonal receptors

Cancer Staging

Stage breast cancer is usually determined by the TNM system, T = tumor size, N = lymph node involvement, M = metastasis

Stage 0 ("in situ")

There are cancer cells, but not the invasion of the surrounding tissues

Stage I

Tumor size <> 5 cm, no metastases in lymph nodes or tumor size of 2-5cm, but there is a spread in the axillary lymph nodes and can still be driven a side

Stage III, consisting of:

Stage IIIA

Tumor size> 5cm, with a spread in lymph nodes but cannot be driven a side

Stage IIIB

Regardless of tumor size, but extends to the skin or chest wall and accompanied the spread of the internal mammary lymph nodes. Including inflammatory breast cancer.

Stage IV

Regardless of tumor size, with the spread in lymph nodes in both axilla, internal mammary, supraclavicular and even with distant spread (metastasis) such as the liver, lung, brain, bone, etc.

The higher stage of course, the worse the prognosis.

Node status

Are the involvements / spread to lymph nodes. The more lymph nodes are affected, the worse the prognosis. Prognosis is also worse if lymph nodes are exposed to it on the side opposite to the location of the tumor, as well as when attached, and cannot be moved.

Histology picture

Histological worsening, the prognosis is also worse

Menopausal Status and Hormone Receptors

Menopausal status and hormonal receptors play a role in determining therapy. Most of the patients who had menopause (postmenopausal) had positive hormonal receptors, so it responds to hormonal therapy. In general, the groups with positive hormonal receptors have a better prognosis.

Breast Cancer Therapy

Determination of breast cancer therapy depends on many factors, tumor stage, nodal status, age, menopausal status, receptor status and histological tumor. Various checks are needed to determine the most appropriate therapy. Therapy given in the form of primary therapy, there is also a neoadjuvant therapy (treatment given before primary treatment, usually aiming to shrink the tumor mass) and adjuvant therapy (therapy given after primary therapy)

Therapy can include surgery (mastectomy, breast conserving surgery, and lumpectomy), radiation, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy.


Ingredients:

A. Cancer Guidance Sub-group of the Clinical Outcomes Group. Improving outcomes in breast cancer. Three documents: The manual: The Research Evidence; and guidance for general practitioners and primary care teams. London: NHS Executive, Department of Health, 1996.

2. The Breast Specialty Group of the British Association of Surgical Oncology. Guidelines for surgeons in the management of symptomatic breast disease in the United Kingdom (1998 revision). European Journal of Surgical Oncology, 1998; 24: 464-76.

3. Royal College of Radiologists Clinical Oncology Information Network. Guidelines on the non-surgical management of breast cancer. Clinical Oncology, 1999; 11: S90-S133. Breast cancer. Cancer Information section of the U.S. National Cancer Institute web site: www.nci.nih.gov

4. The Oxford Textbook of Oncology. Eds: Robert Souhami, Ian Tannock, Peter Hohenberger, and Jean-Claude Horiot. Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2001. ISBN: 0-19-262926-3

5. The American Cancer Society website contains a description of the different types of early breast cancer detection methods, Including breast self examination at http://www.cancer.org/

6. Susan G. Komen Breast Health provides information on breast self-exam. Breast self-exam shower cards can also be ordered at http://www.breastcancerinfo.com/

7. BD, Inc. (Becton Dickinson) Sensibility the FDA approved breast pad: a reusable soft pad designed for women to use while practicing monthly breast self-examination (BSE). Composed of two plastic sheets with liquid lubricant sealed inside, the friction Between Reduced-pad helps a woman's fingers and her breast, enhancing her sense of touch during the exam. The Sensibility pad may be purchased online or from stores Such as K-Mart, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart. The cost of the pad is approximately $ 29.99 at these stores, and most packages include a $ 5 manufacturer's rebate. Visit (http://www.bd.com/sensability/) or call 1.888.BDCARES for more information

8. The video "Staying in Touch: How to Do Your Monthly Breast Self-Examination," includes information from the American Cancer Society and demonstrates the proper technique for breast self-examination. Dr. John Fetting, MD, Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Breast Center, Joyce O'Shaughnessy, MD of the National Cancer Institute and Nancy Brinker, Founding Chair of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and breast cancer survivor, describe steps women can take to detect breast cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages.

9. The "Staying in Touch" video clip is 15 minutes long (14:57) and is available for online viewing at www.msnbc.com/news/201289.asp. The clips may be downloaded over the Internet and viewed on your computer using a free multi-media plug-ins Such as Windows Media Player, at your choice of Internet connection speed (28.8, 56.6, T1). Parental Warning: this video graphically shows women performing breast self-exams.

10. The video "For Yourself: A Guide to Breast Self-Examination" was created by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Guttman Diagnostic Center. The video is narrated by Rita Moreno, Jessye Norman and Meryl Streep. The video is eight minutes long (8:04). A copy of the video may be ordered from Memorial Sloan Kettering at http://www.mskcc.org/.

11. The American Medical Association page on women's health and breast cancer includes information about breast self-exam and other methods of early detection mammography Such as: http://www.ama-assn.org/
12. Women's Health Products the FDA approved breast pad Aware which can enhance a woman's sense of touch while performing breast self-exams. The Aware pad consists of two ten-inch plastic sheets with a silicone lubricant sealed inside. The pad is reusable and Aware guaranteed for the life of the product. The pad also contains a hole near the top so That it may be hung in the bathroom and an opaque bag if women prefer to tuck it in a lingerie drawer. The Aware pad may be purchased for $ 19.99 at http://awarebse.com/ or by calling 1.877.9.AWARE.1