Breast cancer series
Breast cancer is the second — behind
lung cancer — leading cause of cancer death in women. The chance of
developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman’s life is about one
in eight.
The female breast is composed primarily of
milk-producing glands (lobules), ducts that connect the glands to the nipple
and soft tissue.
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that has
grown from breast cells.
Nearly all breast cancers start in the ducts
or lobules of the breast.
The cancer can spread (metastasize) to other
parts of the body, though it technically is still defined as breast cancer.
There are many forms of breast cancer.
Invasive ductal carcinoma, also called infiltrating carcinoma, is the most
common form. It starts in a duct, then breaks through the duct wall and invades
the tissue of the breast. At this point, it can metastasize through the
lymphatic vessels and the bloodstream. About 80 percent of invasive breast
cancers are infiltrating ductal carcinomas.
Lymph nodes plays a major role in breast
cancer. It is a fluid that carries immune-system cells through lymphatic
vessels. Lymph nodes are small collections of these cells in the vessels.
Almost all lymphatic vessels in the breast connect to lymph nodes under the
arm.
Cancer cells that enter lymphatic vessels can
spread and begin to grow in lymph nodes. This is why doctors check the lymph
nodes to see if breast cancer has spread.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most
common type of noninvasive breast cancer. The term “in situ” means the cancer
is confined to its original site. DCIS denotes that the cancer cells are inside
the ducts but have not spread through the walls of the ducts into the
surrounding breast tissue. About 20 percent of new breast cancer cases will be
DCIS. Nearly all women diagnosed at this early stage of breast cancer can be
cured.
There are many risk factors for breast cancer,
including the following:
• The risk rises with age. About 77 percent of
women with breast cancer are older than 50 when they are diagnosed.
• Breast cancer risk is higher among women
whose close relatives have the disease.
• A woman with cancer in one breast is at high
risk of developing a new cancer in either of her breasts.
• Women who started menstruating before age 12
or who went through menopause after age 55 have a slightly higher risk of
breast cancer.
• Multiple pregnancies and becoming pregnant
at an early age reduce the risk of breast cancer.
• Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy
(HRT) after menopause increases your risk of breast cancer.
• Drinking alcohol is linked to an increased
risk of developing breast cancer.
• Obesity is a breast cancer risk, especially
for women after menopause.
• Evidence is growing that exercise reduces
breast cancer risk.
If you have a question, please write to fred@healthygeezer.com.