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Ans : Breast cancer means
a cancerous (causing infiltration
and destruction of tissue) growth that originates in breast tissue.
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Q.2) Whom does it affect the most?
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Ans : The
risk of breast cancer increases with increasing
age, mostly among females.
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Q.3) How does Breast Cancer progress? |
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Ans : Usually an excess of estrogen stimulates the growth of the
tumour.
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Q.4) What are the causes of Breast Cancer? |
Ans : The causes are
- Positive family history.
- Early menarche
- Late menopause.
- First child after thirty years of age.
- Excessive body fat.
- Prolonged use of oral contraceptive pills.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for 10 years or more.
- Oncogenes
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Q.5)What are the symptoms of Breast Cancer? |
Ans : The symptoms are
- A painless lump in the breast
- Dimpling of the skin in the area of the lump that looks like orange peel.
- Inversion of the nipple.
- A bloodstained nipple discharge.
- Pain in breast.
- In Paget's disease: patch of dry, flaky skin on the nipple.
- A change in the appearance or texture of the breasts.
- Cachexia
- General symptoms: malaise (weariness)
loss of appetite
fatigue
thirst
fever
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Staging
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The international TNM classification is recognized for staging:
T- Extent of primary tumour
T1 to T3 shows the increase in the extent or size of the
tumour.
N- Involvement of nodes
N1 to N3 shows the increasing node involvement.
M- Presence of metastases (distant spread)
M0 no metastases
M1 presence of metastases.
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Q.6)What investigations are done? |
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Ans : The tests conducted are
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- Mammography
- Radiology
- USG
- CT scan
- MRI
- Lymphangiogram
- Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology [FNAC]
- Aspiration
- Biopsy
- Estrogen Sensitivity
- Biochemical screening
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Q.7) What are the treatment measures? |
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Treatment
Depends on: TNM stage
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Estrogen sensitivity |
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Includes
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- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy, or
- Most often, a combination of these.
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Management of pain through
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Oral analgesics and localized techniques of pain relief.
- Antibiotics, in case of presence of infection.
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Q.8) What is the prognosis? |
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Ans : Prognosis is good, if early diagnosis is followed by prompt
radical cure.
Prognosis worsens with increasing stage of the cancer.
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Q.9) How can the disease be prevented? |
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Ans : The disease can be prevented through
regular self-examination of breasts for lump.
If there exists a positive family history of breast cancer
then regular mammography should be conducted after the
age of 30 years.
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Q.10) Important things one should know about Breast
Cancer? |
Ans : One needs to know about the
complementary therapies that can help in the healing
process
- Relaxation exercises
- Meditation
- Psychological counseling.
- Family and colleagues support.
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Terminal care
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- Psychological support
- Appropriate nutrition
- Treatment of cough, pruritis and nausea
- Family and friend's support
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