After a breast cancer diagnosis, you and your doctors will put together a treatment plan specific to your situation, based on your pathology report. Your treatment plan will be made up of one or more specific treatments that are intended to target the cancer cells in different ways and reduce the risk of future breast cancer recurrence. You and your doctor will base your treatment decisions on YOUR unique situation, including consideration of your overall medical condition and your personal style of making decisions. You may have to re-evaluate your decisions periodically. Your medical team will be your guide.
http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/planning/
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Your pathology report may say that the breast cancer cells tested negative for estrogen receptors (ER-), progesterone receptors (PR-), and HER2, also called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2-). Testing negative for all three receptors means you have “triple-negative breast cancer.”
Without these receptors, the cancer’s growth is not likely to be fueled by estrogen or progesterone, or by growth signals coming from the HER2 protein. Therefore, triple-negative breast cancer does not respond to hormonal therapy (such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors) or therapies that target HER2 receptors, such as Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab). However, other medicines can be used to treat triple-negative breast cancer.
About 10-20% of breast cancers — more than one out of every 10 — are found to be triple-negative. Researchers are very interested in finding new medications that can treat this kind of breast cancer. Early studies are trying to find out whether certain medications can interfere with the processes that cause triple-negative breast cancer to grow. In this section, you can learn about:
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/trip_neg/
Without these receptors, the cancer’s growth is not likely to be fueled by estrogen or progesterone, or by growth signals coming from the HER2 protein. Therefore, triple-negative breast cancer does not respond to hormonal therapy (such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors) or therapies that target HER2 receptors, such as Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab). However, other medicines can be used to treat triple-negative breast cancer.
About 10-20% of breast cancers — more than one out of every 10 — are found to be triple-negative. Researchers are very interested in finding new medications that can treat this kind of breast cancer. Early studies are trying to find out whether certain medications can interfere with the processes that cause triple-negative breast cancer to grow. In this section, you can learn about:
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/trip_neg/
Monday, August 25, 2008
Are Hormone Receptors Present?
Receptors for the female hormones estrogen and progesterone are another key personality feature of breast cancer. You can read about whether these receptors are present in your pathology report. These receptors are the eyes and ears of the breast cells, getting messages sent by the hormones and figuring out what to do with these messages. The hormones will tell the receptors to stimulate or "turn on" breast cell growth. Estrogen and progesterone can increase both normal and abnormal breast cell growth.
Your doctor will order a hormone receptors assay, a test to see if the cancer is sensitive to estrogen and progesterone. If a tumor is estrogen-receptor positive (ER-positive), it is more likely to grow in a high-estrogen environment. ER-negative tumors are usually not affected by the levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body. This is one time when hearing the word "positive" may really mean something good (so often, a "positive" test result really means that something not so good was found).
ER-positive cancers are more likely to respond to anti-estrogen therapies. If you have an ER-positive cancer, you may respond well to tamoxifen, a drug that works by blocking the estrogen receptors on the breast tissue cells and slowing their estrogen-fuelled growth. A study suggests that Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) may be beneficial regardless of your ER/PR status.
More information on tamoxifen.
If you've gone through menopause, you may think that you are no longer at risk for estrogen-fuelled cancer growth. That's not true. While your ovaries are no longer producing estrogen after menopause, your adrenal glands produce another hormone that is converted into estrogen by the body. That estrogen can still stimulate tumor growth. So estrogen is an important consideration even for women who have stopped menstruating.
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/horm_receptors.jsp
Your doctor will order a hormone receptors assay, a test to see if the cancer is sensitive to estrogen and progesterone. If a tumor is estrogen-receptor positive (ER-positive), it is more likely to grow in a high-estrogen environment. ER-negative tumors are usually not affected by the levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body. This is one time when hearing the word "positive" may really mean something good (so often, a "positive" test result really means that something not so good was found).
ER-positive cancers are more likely to respond to anti-estrogen therapies. If you have an ER-positive cancer, you may respond well to tamoxifen, a drug that works by blocking the estrogen receptors on the breast tissue cells and slowing their estrogen-fuelled growth. A study suggests that Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) may be beneficial regardless of your ER/PR status.
More information on tamoxifen.
If you've gone through menopause, you may think that you are no longer at risk for estrogen-fuelled cancer growth. That's not true. While your ovaries are no longer producing estrogen after menopause, your adrenal glands produce another hormone that is converted into estrogen by the body. That estrogen can still stimulate tumor growth. So estrogen is an important consideration even for women who have stopped menstruating.
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/horm_receptors.jsp
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Lymph Node Involvement
Some breast cancers spread to the lymph nodes under a woman's arm. When the lymph nodes are involved in the cancer, they are called "positive." When lymph nodes are free or "clear" of cancer, they are called "negative." Your doctors will examine samples from your lymph nodes under a microscope to determine whether any cancer cells have spread there.
In large medical studies, there seems to be a connection between the number of lymph nodes involved and how aggressive a cancer's personality will be. Knowing how many of your lymph nodes are affected by cancer will help you and your doctor find the appropriate treatment to fight the cancer. Read more about options for lymph node surgery.
Doctors think in terms of three types of lymph node involvement when they look at an individual node:
Minimal (or microscopic) lymph node involvement: Only a small number of cancer cells can be found in the lymph nodes.
Significant (or macroscopic) involvement: A particular lymph node or group of nodes has become involved with the cancer. These can often felt by hand or seen without a microscope.
Extra-capsular extension: A breast cancer tumor takes over a whole lymph node and spills beyond the wall of the lymph node into the surrounding fat.
In most cases, the more extensive the lymph node involvement, the more aggressive the cancer. But the extent of disease within a particular lymph node is less important than the total number of lymph nodes affected. The more lymph nodes that are involved, the more threatening the cancer may be.
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/lymph_nodes.jsp
In large medical studies, there seems to be a connection between the number of lymph nodes involved and how aggressive a cancer's personality will be. Knowing how many of your lymph nodes are affected by cancer will help you and your doctor find the appropriate treatment to fight the cancer. Read more about options for lymph node surgery.
Doctors think in terms of three types of lymph node involvement when they look at an individual node:
Minimal (or microscopic) lymph node involvement: Only a small number of cancer cells can be found in the lymph nodes.
Significant (or macroscopic) involvement: A particular lymph node or group of nodes has become involved with the cancer. These can often felt by hand or seen without a microscope.
Extra-capsular extension: A breast cancer tumor takes over a whole lymph node and spills beyond the wall of the lymph node into the surrounding fat.
In most cases, the more extensive the lymph node involvement, the more aggressive the cancer. But the extent of disease within a particular lymph node is less important than the total number of lymph nodes affected. The more lymph nodes that are involved, the more threatening the cancer may be.
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/lymph_nodes.jsp
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
understanding the risks in breast cancer
All women are at risk for getting breast cancer. As you get older, your risk increases. Assuming you live to age 90, your risk of getting breast cancer over your lifetime is about 14%. That might sound scary, because it means that an average of about one out of every seven women will get breast cancer over a 90-year life span.
You can also look at it another way: A 14% risk means there's an 86% chance that you WON'T get breast cancer.
How much do risk factors and preventive factors change your risk?
Knowing what factors can increase or decrease your risk for breast cancer is important. But you probably want to know just HOW MUCH those factors change your risk.
If you hear that a certain treatment can reduce your risk by 40%, what does that mean?
To understand what the numbers mean about YOUR risk for breast cancer, the key terms to know are relative risk and absolute risk.
Relative risk is the number that tells you how much something you do, such as taking a pill, can change your risk, compared to your risk without taking that pill. Relative risk can be expressed in percentages and in "hazard ratios." If you do nothing new, your hazard ratio is 1.0—this means that your risk doesn't change. If you do something and your risk decreases by half, or goes down to 0.5, then you are half as likely to have the risk. But if your risk goes up, from 1.0 to 1.88, then you are 88% more likely to encounter the risk. If your risk goes up to 3.0, then you have a threefold (300%) increased risk of having the problem.
Absolute risk is the size of your own risk. Absolute risk reduction is the number of percentage points by which your own risk changes if you do something, like taking a pill. The size of your absolute risk reduction depends on what your risk is to begin with.
Example of risk going up for a woman with no history of breast cancer
Smoking is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer as well as other diseases.
After lumpectomy with clear margins, your risk of the breast cancer coming back in the same breast is about 30%. But if you choose to have radiation therapy after your lumpectomy, you can reduce your risk of the cancer coming back by two-thirds or 66%. This is the relative risk decrease.
Knowing how much your breast cancer risk changes with lifestyle changes and treatment options can help you and your doctor make the best decisions for YOU.
source: http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/understanding.jsp
You can also look at it another way: A 14% risk means there's an 86% chance that you WON'T get breast cancer.
How much do risk factors and preventive factors change your risk?
Knowing what factors can increase or decrease your risk for breast cancer is important. But you probably want to know just HOW MUCH those factors change your risk.
If you hear that a certain treatment can reduce your risk by 40%, what does that mean?
To understand what the numbers mean about YOUR risk for breast cancer, the key terms to know are relative risk and absolute risk.
Relative risk is the number that tells you how much something you do, such as taking a pill, can change your risk, compared to your risk without taking that pill. Relative risk can be expressed in percentages and in "hazard ratios." If you do nothing new, your hazard ratio is 1.0—this means that your risk doesn't change. If you do something and your risk decreases by half, or goes down to 0.5, then you are half as likely to have the risk. But if your risk goes up, from 1.0 to 1.88, then you are 88% more likely to encounter the risk. If your risk goes up to 3.0, then you have a threefold (300%) increased risk of having the problem.
Absolute risk is the size of your own risk. Absolute risk reduction is the number of percentage points by which your own risk changes if you do something, like taking a pill. The size of your absolute risk reduction depends on what your risk is to begin with.
Example of risk going up for a woman with no history of breast cancer
Smoking is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer as well as other diseases.
After lumpectomy with clear margins, your risk of the breast cancer coming back in the same breast is about 30%. But if you choose to have radiation therapy after your lumpectomy, you can reduce your risk of the cancer coming back by two-thirds or 66%. This is the relative risk decrease.
Knowing how much your breast cancer risk changes with lifestyle changes and treatment options can help you and your doctor make the best decisions for YOU.
source: http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/understanding.jsp
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Foods to avoid when being treated for breast cancer
According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), you should avoid the following types of foods, especially when being treated for breast cancer:
Charred and deep-fried foods. Both cause a condition known as "internal heat" in the stomach, which can cause a functional disorder of this organ. (It is especially important to avoid these foods when undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, since the treatments already create excess heat in the body.)
Raw vegetables. Eating too many raw vegetables weakens the stomach and spleen, two organs essential for breast-cancer prevention. Although some nutrition is invariably lost when cooking vegetables, raw vegetables take a great deal more energy to digest than cooked vegetables.
Cold or iced foods and beverages. Your stomach functions best when the food you eat is warm. Consuming cold foods and beverages day after day can unbalance the stomach function.
source: http://www.breastcancer.com/self-care/foods/foods_to_avoid/
Charred and deep-fried foods. Both cause a condition known as "internal heat" in the stomach, which can cause a functional disorder of this organ. (It is especially important to avoid these foods when undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, since the treatments already create excess heat in the body.)
Raw vegetables. Eating too many raw vegetables weakens the stomach and spleen, two organs essential for breast-cancer prevention. Although some nutrition is invariably lost when cooking vegetables, raw vegetables take a great deal more energy to digest than cooked vegetables.
Cold or iced foods and beverages. Your stomach functions best when the food you eat is warm. Consuming cold foods and beverages day after day can unbalance the stomach function.
source: http://www.breastcancer.com/self-care/foods/foods_to_avoid/
Monday, July 28, 2008
10 Facts about breast cancer
Fact # 1
All women are at risk.
Approximately 70% of breast cancers occur in women with none of the known risk factors.
Fact # 2
Only about 5% of breast cancers are inherited.
About 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will be the first to be victims in their families.
Fact # 3
Breast cancer is the leading killer of women ages 35 to 54 worldwide.
More than a million women develop breast cancer without knowing it and almost 500,000 die from it every year.
Fact # 4
One out of four who are diagnosed with breast cancer die within the first five years.
No less than 40% die within ten years.
Fact # 5
The incidence of breast cancer has been rising for the past 30 years.
And the supposed authorities and experts that should know, don't know why.
Fact # 6
Risk factors are not necessarily causes of breast cancer.
Enough evidence exist linking environmental pollution and contamination to cause breast cancer.
Fact # 7
Mammography fails to detect as much as 20% of all breast cancer
and as much as 40% in women under the age of 50.
Fact # 8
Early detection does not prevent breast cancer.
Avoiding and eliminating known causes will prevent breast cancer.
Fact # 9
One out of eight North American women will develop breast cancer.
The San Francisco Bay Area has the highest incidence rate in the entire world.
Fact # 10
The Philippines has the highest incidence rate of breast cancer in Asia
and is today considered to have the 9th highest incidence rate in the world today.
source: http://www.pbcn.org/wst_page5.html
All women are at risk.
Approximately 70% of breast cancers occur in women with none of the known risk factors.
Fact # 2
Only about 5% of breast cancers are inherited.
About 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will be the first to be victims in their families.
Fact # 3
Breast cancer is the leading killer of women ages 35 to 54 worldwide.
More than a million women develop breast cancer without knowing it and almost 500,000 die from it every year.
Fact # 4
One out of four who are diagnosed with breast cancer die within the first five years.
No less than 40% die within ten years.
Fact # 5
The incidence of breast cancer has been rising for the past 30 years.
And the supposed authorities and experts that should know, don't know why.
Fact # 6
Risk factors are not necessarily causes of breast cancer.
Enough evidence exist linking environmental pollution and contamination to cause breast cancer.
Fact # 7
Mammography fails to detect as much as 20% of all breast cancer
and as much as 40% in women under the age of 50.
Fact # 8
Early detection does not prevent breast cancer.
Avoiding and eliminating known causes will prevent breast cancer.
Fact # 9
One out of eight North American women will develop breast cancer.
The San Francisco Bay Area has the highest incidence rate in the entire world.
Fact # 10
The Philippines has the highest incidence rate of breast cancer in Asia
and is today considered to have the 9th highest incidence rate in the world today.
source: http://www.pbcn.org/wst_page5.html
Sunday, July 20, 2008
breast cancer in the family
breast cancer does not affect the one who is afflicted with the disease only. it affects the whole family. it is a disease that slowly eats away the family’s finances and esteem... that’s why it is important to have a support system during these trying times.
Types of Breast Cancer
There are many types of breast cancer, though some of them are very rare. Sometimes a breast tumor can be a combination of these types and to have a mixture of invasive and in situ cancer.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): This is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. DCIS means that the cancer is only in the ducts. It has not spread through the walls of the ducts into the tissue of the breast. Nearly all women with cancer at this stage can be cured. Often the best way to find DCIS early is with a mammogram.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS): This condition begins in the milk-making glands but does not go through the wall of the lobules. Although not a true cancer, having LCIS increases a woman's risk of getting cancer later. For this reason, it's important that women with LCIS to follow the screening guidelines for breast cancer (these are discussed later in this document).
Invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC): This is the most common breast cancer. It starts in a milk passage or duct, breaks through the wall of the duct, and invades the tissue of the breast. From there it can spread to other parts of the body. It accounts for about 8 out of 10 invasive breast cancers.
Invasive (infiltrating) lobular carcinoma (ILC): This cancer starts in the milk glands or lobules. It can spread to other parts of the body. About 1 out of 10 invasive breast cancers are of this type.
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC): This uncommon type of invasive breast cancer accounts for about 1% to 3% of all breast cancers. Usually there is no single lump or tumor. Instead, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm. It also gives the skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks a lot like an orange peel. Doctors now know that these changes are not caused by inflammation or infection, but by cancer cells blocking lymph vessels in the skin. The breast may become larger, firmer, tender, or itchy. IBC is often mistaken for an infection in its early stages. Because there is no defined lump, it may not appear on a mammogram, which may make it even harder to catch it early. It usually has a higher chance of spreading and a worse outlook than invasive ductal or lobular cancer.
There are also many other less common types of breast cancer. You can get information about these through our toll-free number or on our Web site.
source: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_1X_What_is_breast_cancer_5.asp?sitearea=
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): This is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. DCIS means that the cancer is only in the ducts. It has not spread through the walls of the ducts into the tissue of the breast. Nearly all women with cancer at this stage can be cured. Often the best way to find DCIS early is with a mammogram.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS): This condition begins in the milk-making glands but does not go through the wall of the lobules. Although not a true cancer, having LCIS increases a woman's risk of getting cancer later. For this reason, it's important that women with LCIS to follow the screening guidelines for breast cancer (these are discussed later in this document).
Invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC): This is the most common breast cancer. It starts in a milk passage or duct, breaks through the wall of the duct, and invades the tissue of the breast. From there it can spread to other parts of the body. It accounts for about 8 out of 10 invasive breast cancers.
Invasive (infiltrating) lobular carcinoma (ILC): This cancer starts in the milk glands or lobules. It can spread to other parts of the body. About 1 out of 10 invasive breast cancers are of this type.
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC): This uncommon type of invasive breast cancer accounts for about 1% to 3% of all breast cancers. Usually there is no single lump or tumor. Instead, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm. It also gives the skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks a lot like an orange peel. Doctors now know that these changes are not caused by inflammation or infection, but by cancer cells blocking lymph vessels in the skin. The breast may become larger, firmer, tender, or itchy. IBC is often mistaken for an infection in its early stages. Because there is no defined lump, it may not appear on a mammogram, which may make it even harder to catch it early. It usually has a higher chance of spreading and a worse outlook than invasive ductal or lobular cancer.
There are also many other less common types of breast cancer. You can get information about these through our toll-free number or on our Web site.
source: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_1X_What_is_breast_cancer_5.asp?sitearea=
Thursday, July 17, 2008
what is breast cancer
Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that starts from cells of the breast. The disease occurs mostly in women, but men can get breast cancer too. The information here refers only to breast cancer in women. There is separate information about breast cancer in men available in the American Cancer Society's document
Normal Breast Structure
In order to understand breast cancer, it is helpful to have some basic knowledge about the normal structure of the breasts, as shown in the picture below.
A woman’s breast is made up of glands that make breast milk (lobules), ducts (small tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple), fatty and connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymph (pronounced limf) vessels. Most breast cancers begin in the cells that line the ducts (ductal cancer), some begin in the lobules (lobular cancer), and the rest in other tissues.
The Lymph System
The lymph system is important because it is one of the ways in which breast cancers can spread. This system has several parts.
Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped collections of immune system cells that are connected by lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels are like small veins, except that they carry a clear fluid called lymph (instead of blood) away from the breast. Breast cancer cells can enter lymphatic vessels and begin to grow in lymph nodes.
Most lymph vessels of the breast lead to lymph nodes under the arm. These are called axillary (ax-uh-lair-ee) nodes. If breast cancer cells reach the underarm lymph nodes and continue to grow, they cause the nodes to swell. Once cancer cells have reached these nodes they are more likely to spread to other organs of the body too. Knowing whether cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes is important because if they have, there is a higher chance that the cells have also gotten into the bloodstream and spread to other places in the body. This could affect the treatment plan.
Benign Breast Lumps
Most breast lumps are benign (be-nine); that is, they are not cancer. Benign breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not spread outside of the breast and they are not life threatening. But some benign breast lumps can increase a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer.
Most lumps turn out to be caused by fibrocystic (fi-bro-sis-tik) changes. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs. Fibrosis is the formation of scar-like tissue. Such changes can cause breast swelling and pain. The breasts may feel lumpy, and sometimes there is a clear or slightly cloudy nipple discharge. For more detail, please see the document,
source: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_1X_What_is_breast_cancer_5.asp?sitearea=
Normal Breast Structure
In order to understand breast cancer, it is helpful to have some basic knowledge about the normal structure of the breasts, as shown in the picture below.
A woman’s breast is made up of glands that make breast milk (lobules), ducts (small tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple), fatty and connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymph (pronounced limf) vessels. Most breast cancers begin in the cells that line the ducts (ductal cancer), some begin in the lobules (lobular cancer), and the rest in other tissues.
The Lymph System
The lymph system is important because it is one of the ways in which breast cancers can spread. This system has several parts.
Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped collections of immune system cells that are connected by lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels are like small veins, except that they carry a clear fluid called lymph (instead of blood) away from the breast. Breast cancer cells can enter lymphatic vessels and begin to grow in lymph nodes.
Most lymph vessels of the breast lead to lymph nodes under the arm. These are called axillary (ax-uh-lair-ee) nodes. If breast cancer cells reach the underarm lymph nodes and continue to grow, they cause the nodes to swell. Once cancer cells have reached these nodes they are more likely to spread to other organs of the body too. Knowing whether cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes is important because if they have, there is a higher chance that the cells have also gotten into the bloodstream and spread to other places in the body. This could affect the treatment plan.
Benign Breast Lumps
Most breast lumps are benign (be-nine); that is, they are not cancer. Benign breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not spread outside of the breast and they are not life threatening. But some benign breast lumps can increase a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer.
Most lumps turn out to be caused by fibrocystic (fi-bro-sis-tik) changes. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs. Fibrosis is the formation of scar-like tissue. Such changes can cause breast swelling and pain. The breasts may feel lumpy, and sometimes there is a clear or slightly cloudy nipple discharge. For more detail, please see the document,
source: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_1X_What_is_breast_cancer_5.asp?sitearea=
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