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Breast Cancer Survivor

Breast Cancer News

Breast Cancer

Description:

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year. While breast cancer primarily strikes women, men can be affected as well.

In women, approximately 90 percent of breast cancer starts in the mammary ducts of the breast while 10 percent originates in the lobules, the glands that make breast milk.

>>> What is Breast Cancer?
>>> Breast Cancer Facts
>>> Breast Cancer Statistics

Noninvasive breast cancer / Ductal carcinoma in-situ
Noninvasive breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in-situ, is used to describe breast cancer in its early stages before it has spread outside the duct into the surrounding tissue or to other organs of the body. In this stage, the cancer remains where it started, in the mammary ducts, and has not spread. Noninvasive cancer increases a woman's risk of developing invasive breast cancer.

Invasive breast cancer
The two most common types of invasive breast cancer are infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) and infiltrating lobular carcinoma (ILC).

IDC is the most common type of invasive breast cancer, accounting for 90 percent of all cases. IDC begins in the milk ducts and invades the tissues of the breast by breaking through the walls of the milk duct. Once in the breast's fatty tissues, IDC can spread to the armpit lymph nodes or to other organs of the body, namely the bones, lungs or liver.

ILC accounts for nearly 10 percent of all invasive breast cancers. ILC starts in the lobules (milk glands) and invades the tissues of the breast by breaking through the walls of the milk glands. ILC can also spread to the armpit lymph nodes and to other organs of the body.

Symptoms:

New lump in the breast
Discharge from the nipple

Treatment Options:

Typically, breast cancer is treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapies. In some cases, radiation therapy is also used.

Currently, RMCC has approximately 15 clinical research trials in progress for the treatment of breast cancer.

Recently, RMCC initiated a breast cancer research study for partial breast accelerated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This investigational therapy, which is completed in one week, could potentially substitute for a five to six week treatment of the entire breast.

>>> More Information about Breast Cancer Surgery (Lumpectomy/Mastectomy)
>>> More Information about Chemotherapy
>>> More Information about Hormonal Therapies

Risk Factors:

Family history of breast cancer
Receiving hormone replacement therapy over an extended period of time
Obesity
Excessive alcohol use

Prevention:

A yearly mammogram and breast exam for all women 40 and older

>>> More Information about Cancer Risk Factors

Online resources:

The American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org
The Susan B. Komen Foundation: www.komen.org
National Cancer Institute: www.nci.nih.gov

Breast Cancer Treatment

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Breast Cancer Targets

BRCA1
BRCA2
HER-2
MUC1
VEGF

Breast Cancer Stages

Stage 0 (stage 0)
Stage 1 (stage i)
Stage 2 (stage ii)
Stage 3 (stage iii)
Stage 4 (stage iv)

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