View Full Version : Breast Cancer
" I am sure that many of you have heard about Breast Cancer, and how much it could have a bad effect in woman, that the results sometimes could be diedly"
Two studies recently reported in the “New England Journal of Medicine” found that breast ultrasounds could detect a significant number of cancers in women that were otherwise missed in their mammographies. But are these tests beneficial for every woman?
I have heard that many women in oman are suffering from breast cancer, and comparing the number from last year and this year, its a huge increase. I am not sure what sorte of hmmm curement that use in oman, but the familer one to everyone is Chemotherapy. Which of course many of you once again know its bad side.
What do you guys think about this? I would love to hear opinions about the new studies .. and how much do you think its Benefical or no!
great topic neena..
before proceding.. i just want to make a clear point... a mass in the bresat does not neccessary mena sit is a cancer... cancer fo breast is more common in elderly .. other masses which can be felt in teh breast are abcess, cyst, fat necrosis. and orher benign diosrders..
another point bresat cancer are of different type : some of them has good prognosis ( i mean got high chance of cure) and other are bad one which might be fatal..
plus , each cancer is got difefrnt stages : i mean its spreda or severity is divided into stages.. stage one better than 2 better than 3 better than 4 ( 4 means it is spreda all over the body)
regarding screening:
actualy last year i was redaing articals regarding what is best mammograph ( x-ray of bresat) or routin physical examination...
regarding ultrasound, it might not be usesfull cause it will detect masses above certain sizes.. so still mammograph for women above 50 yrs and routin physical mass is much better... and if a mass is detected in teh bresat.. then further onvestigation will be taken place like ul=trasound, fine neddle aspiration cytology ( where a thing needle is inserted to bresat and a sample taken from the mass and it is guided by ultrasound)..
[colro=red]regarding management:[/color]
this depend on teh stage of the cancer ( mentioned above)..:
1-early breats cancer when cancer is at stage 1 or 2
2-advanced bresat cancer
now let us go one by one
1- for early bresat cancer
surgery, radiotherapy , chemotherapy/ horrmonal therapy are the choice of treatment..
surgery: can be radical mastectomy( not practiced nowadays) , total mastectomy or segemntal resection with radiotherapy( lumpectomy)...
mastectomy menas removal of bresat ... because mastectomy involves removal of lymph nodes in axilla which will give rise to a swellen arm.. nowadays only gaurd lymph nodes are removed..( snetinal node resection)...
radiotherapy: given when there are tumores in axillary lyph nodes..( axilla is same as armpit)
chemotherapy and hormonal tehrapy: this is only given when there is tumor cells in axillary lyph nodes... and if patient is postmenapause and she has postive estrogen reseptor assay.. she will be given tamoxifen ( which is an antiestrogen)= hormonal therapy..
chemotherapeutic regimen used is CMF
2- advanced bresat cancer
toilet mastectomy which is an extensive form of removing a breast... radiotherapy is not curative but used to help in surgery
( neoadjuvent)
chemotherapy and hormonal: are sued but they don't show good response.. soemtime insteda of giving anti-estrogen, surgey done to remove ovaries ( oopherectomy)
Very good explanation you gaved there.. and i must say i did read about it in some paper. But its good to actually give such an explanation as many of the other memebers would really want to know.
Its very important for women to know about this, becuase it for sure mostly attacks females. Of course that does not mean Men are not Likely to get Breast cancer its possible, but Majority women are the ones that get it.
Just to add to what Fahad said:
Many people would ask :
" how do we know what causes breast cancer"?
There is no a specific answer to the question, Scientists till this day are trying so hard to understand how it happens. But Scientists are making great progress in understanding how certain changes in DNA can cause normal breast cells to become cancerous. DNA is the chemical that carries the instructions for nearly everything our cells do. We usually resemble our parents because they are the source of our DNA. However, DNA affects more than our outward appearance. Another thing is, if a woman comes from a family that has a history of having Breast cancer through out the family, then there could be a very highly possability that you would be having it. So that why its very important for those woman to be careful and check the doctor.
" Could we prevent Breast Cancer"?
The answer would be no. We do not know how to prevent breast cancer, but it is possible that a woman of average risk for breast cancer might reduce her risk somewhat by changing those risk factors that can be changed, such as giving birth to several children and breast feeding them for several months, avoiding alcohol, exercising regularly, and maintaining a slim body.
thanx neena for teh valuable informations:
- regarding mechanism of having cancer, there are many possible theories regarding this.. and scientist discovered certain genes which are responsilble for cancers.. for bresat cancer 2 important genes have been discovered, BRCA1 and BRCA2 .. where BRCA2 is teh main cause of cancer in male.
- other risk factors also have been studied like: first degree relative having bresat cancer, early puberty, late menaopause, multiple birth, diet is considered as minor risk factor..
i advice ladies, when they go to doctors they learn how to examine teh bresat properly to detect any mass..
The most common sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But some rare cancers are tender, soft, and rounded. So it's important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor.
Other signs of breast cancer include the following:
A swelling of part of the breast
Skin irritation or dimpling
Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
A nipple discharge other than breast milk
A lump in the underarm area
Another thing that I really want to point out about self examination is that: "
By checking your own breasts, you are likely to notice any changes that take place. The best time to do breast self-examination (BSE) is about a week after your period ends, when your breasts are not tender or swollen. If you are not having regular periods, do BSE on the same day every month. If you find any changes, see your doctor right away. "Its very important to keep this in mind that many times woman can't tell by exmanining them selfs, thats why its more secure to check with your docor"
thanx neena..
just wnat to give a notice regarding a swelling under the arm pit.. if symptoms reached to this stage it will be a serious problem..
plus another sign of bresat cancer is an orange skin like bresat "paeu de orange"
also, in painful bresat doctor should be careful not mistaken with breats abcess.. because the symptoms are similar to inflammatory bresat cancers which are very rare..i am saying this because i herad of a case who was misdiagnosed as bresat abcess which later ended to be a cancer.
abcess: is a collection of pus ( indicate underlying infection)
I guess me and fahad somehow went on talk about breast cancer how to know and what are the symptoms.
However I was asking about the new way of discovering wether you have breast cancer or no. And as i said earlier its called the Breast Ultrasounds.
Fahad said that he does not believe that the Ultrasounds would really be a benefit Well his right in a way, sure not all women would benefit from this new way as every woman happens to be different. But some women would benefit from it for sure. Hwoever, the most common way of testing for brest cancer is doing the Mammogram Test. So I will explain how the MAMMOGRAM as well the ULTRASOUNDS works, and you can see the difference between them too.
HOW DOES A MAMMOGRAM WORK?
Mammography is an X-ray test of the mammary glands. X-rays are a form of radiation, like light or radio waves that can be focused into a beam, much like a flashlight beam. Unlike a beam of light, however, X-rays can pass through most objects, including the human body. But dense tissues in the body block many of the X-rays and appear white on an X-ray picture. Less dense tissues, such as muscles and organs, block fewer of the X-rays so more of the X-rays pass through, and appear in shades of gray.
HOW DOES AN ULTRASOUND WORK?
An ultrasound relies on the absorption and bouncing of sound waves off of the images to detect images and masses. It does not use X-rays or other types of possibly harmful radiation.
Fat has a very characteristic appearance as does connective tissue. Non-cancerous cysts let sound waves go right through. While solid mass, which can be detected in an ultrasound, has a different appearance. A breast ultrasound test can show all areas of the breast, including the area closest to the chest wall, which is hard to study with a mammogram. The medical field were very select in use of breast ultrasounds in the past.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
In mammograms, breasts that are not dense (fatty breasts) appear dark. Cancer, a white spot, is easy to see. But a dense breast looks completely white, and the cancer is very hard to find. With ultrasound, the cancer in the dense breast shows up as a black area on a white background.
For more information about all these information i would recommand if you go to these sites:
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/mcclean/plsc431/students98/rivera.htm
http://www.breastcare.co.uk/index4.htm
http://www.msnbc.com/news/816489.asp
greta job neena..
the problem with ultrasound in case of breast cancer, is that it might not detect small masses unlike mammograph.. these masses known as microcalcification which appear as small dots and ultrasoound can't detect them because they are very small.
mammograph is taken on the side of bresat thus chest bones won't be a problem.
it seems no one is Intrested .. and i am more surprised that no female have evenmade one comment... strange! heheh but oh well...
don't care about this. cos people do read ur posts and they benefit from them.. maybe they don't know what to post. but remeber always u r doing a great job in educating people and that is teh best part of it.,.. so keep it up
DesertRose
21-10-02, 04:34 PM
How much r u aware of Breast Cancer?
A recent survey found almost 33,000 women in the UK are diagonosed with cancer every year and nearly 13,000 die.:eek:
My question is "What coz Breast Cancer??? I think breast cancer can happen in any age??? What I know is Indeed 85% of breast lumps seen in medical practice are not cancerous! On the other hand early cancers if are not ignored their treated promptly with an excellent results.
The three main steps for the early detection of breast cancer are to:
1. Carry out breast self-examination monthly from the age of forty?
2. Have a medical checkup once a year with breast examination and a Pap smear as part of a general examination
3. Have an annual mammogram from the age of fifty if there are no major risk factors for the disease, but sooner if there are
Please share ur knowledge in this issue if any
DeSerTDesTroYeR
21-10-02, 06:10 PM
DRose... this is quite an important issue... and as far as I know there are some cases in Oman...not sure about the statistics..though....
I am not sure if I am aware of the causes...but for sure..it will be educational to know...
Well just to sya something I believe the questions that DR posted as well DD u were asking it was answerd previously in some of my posts as well fahad's.
About the number in Oman, i can;t say them by NUMBER, but its HUGE, i know more than 10 women died from this for the past 1 year! and thats a really huge number ... so i am sure thre are a lot of women out there in oman that got breast cancer
DeSerTDesTroYeR
22-10-02, 05:24 PM
ooh!...i thought..i saw a thread about this before.....its good they are merged now..:D
and very good info...you both have here...(Neena and FaHaD)
UmHamed
22-10-02, 07:49 PM
Many people would ask :
" how do we know what causes breast cancer"?
There is no a specific answer to the question, Scientists till this day are trying so hard to understand how it happens. But Scientists are making great progress in understanding how certain changes in DNA can cause normal breast cells to become cancerous. DNA is the chemical that carries the instructions for nearly everything our cells do. We usually resemble our parents because they are the source of our DNA. However, DNA affects more than our outward appearance. Another thing is, if a woman comes from a family that has a history of having Breast cancer through out the family, then there could be a very highly possability that you would be having it. So that why its very important for those woman to be careful and check the doctor.
" Could we prevent Breast Cancer"?
The answer would be no. We do not know how to prevent breast cancer, but it is possible that a woman of average risk for breast cancer might reduce her risk somewhat by changing those risk factors that can be changed, such as giving birth to several children and breast feeding them for several months, avoiding alcohol, exercising regularly, and maintaining a slim body. [/B][/QUOTE]
Sorry Neena, u know what? I really did not read this b4:o but thanx v.much and it is a great job indeed Neena/Fahad, Right that women should aware about this.
so i am sure thre are a lot of women out there in oman that got breast cancer!!! Defenetly I know some
:weep:
sorry for confusion, actually desert rose posted a new threda about bresat cancer, and what i did is that i have merged it to this thread with informing desert rose .. but sorry i forget to mention that after the merging...
now let me ask a question , what if a breast mass is felt in a bresat of a young girl.. ? what does that mean to u..
and what if it was fet in an old lady , e.g >50 yrs old?
could you please rephrase ur question fahad .. not sure that I got you ...!
emm sure,
imagine 2 ladies witha mass in the bresat..
but they have differnt age..
so what does it mean to u or reflect to u when lady is less 20 yrs old and a lady of >50 yrs old with a mass on their bresat? what is teh difference..
hope teh question is clear.. i brought this question just to simplify or summarize what have been mentioned above.
well ... before I answer ... what is actually the probability of a younged aged girl to get affected with a mess "cancer" ... ? i know its possible, but is it a common thing amoung young aged women?!
yeap u are in teh point now,, bresat cancer in young female is a rare condition .. but now let me ask what are the common causes of bresat mass in a young female and then we go for old female
Well fahad, there could be different aspects for the younger aged woman to actually get breast cancer such as:
Have a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer
Have/had 2 or more close relatives with cancer
Have/had a relative with breast cancer at an early age (i.e., before menopause)
Have/had a relative with bilateral (both sides) breast or ovarian cancer
Have/had a relative with more than one type of breast or ovarian cancer
There is a pattern of breast or ovarian cancer in more than one generation of your family
Actually another very important thing is that those ppl who are more at risk of getting the breast cancer are those woman who
begin menstruating before age 12.
infrmation from 4 Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Sept. 17, 1997, 1341-49.
5 Melbye, Mads, et al. "Induced Abortion and the Risk of Breast Cancer." New England Journal of Medicine 333.2 (1997): 81-85.
sorry neena, i think i was not clear in my question sorry for making u tired..
actually i meant is a breat mass not specifically cancer.. as we have mentioned bresat cancer is rare in young adult, but there are other masses which are common in young female , what are they??? hope i am clear now.. but no harm in searching and gaining information right.
" I have no problem at all searching for infromation to do with Medicine, as Medicine was always something I wanted to do :)"
Now going back to your question ... there are for sure different types of Masses or should I say Lumps that Younger women between age "Under 20" and 29 could have such as:
1. Fibroadenoma " The cause is not known; however, some research suggests that increased fat consumption may play a role. The highest incidence is in women from the teen years into the 20s. "
2. Benign Breast Mass
3. Breast Cyst " It could be in a form of Circumscribed, thick- walled lesion deep within skin Covered by normal Epidermis or Contain fluid or semisolid material "
4. Breast Cancer
All lumps in the adolescent and adult female breast are not cancer although the discovery of a lump brings that scenario immediately to mind. It is important to remember that 80 to 85% of all breast lumps are benign, especially in women less than 40 to 50 years old. Benign causes include fibrocystic breast changes, fibroadenoma, fat necrosis (damage to some of the fat tissue within the breast), and breast abscess.
great neena,
the most common is fibrocystic disease, this cause cyclical pain with mesntrual cycle about mid of evry cycle.. it is a benign condition actually treated by analgasic ( pain killer) but if it is severe surgery or anti-estrogen can be used .
now can i ask u one more question neena, actualy i am asking u question in order so we learn from each other in more organised and understanding way..
bresat discharge can be of of different colour : so what are teh differnt colour of discharge from nipple ( discharge is fluid coming from nipple) and what each colour tell , because it helps in diagnosis
Sure thing Fahad, I do not mind at all answering ur question... its fro sure making me as well learn from this whole breast cancer issue.. and I am sure many of the ladies here will benefit from it as well.
Getting back to the topic, however before i actually talk about the different three colours come from Breast discharge ... let me define it. Breast discharge is a common breast complaint with three possible causes: hormonal imbalance, a benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) disease in the breast, or a response to medications (pharmacological discharge).
There are three kind of discharges:
1. Normal discharge: This is usually from both breasts (bilateral) and from multiple duct openings in the nipple. The color of the fluid ranges from opaque (cloudy white) to milky.
2. Pharmacological discharge: Some common prescription and over-the-counter medications may cause breast discharge. The color of the discharge ranges from opaque to milky
3. Physiological discharge (conditions): Physiological discharge is milky, occurs in both breasts at the same time and does not vary with the menstrual cycle.
Solving the Mystery of Breast Discharge
By Judy C. Kneece, RN, OCN
great neena, another question: have u ever heard of white, green-yellowish, red abd serous( clear) discharges.. each one of this tells something about the underlying problem in breast.. so could u please tell us what are the cause of teh previous coloured discharges
Sure ... let me explain them:
A milky or greenish discharge may occur in someone who is not pregnant or breast-feeding (galactorrhea). This may be caused by a hormone imbalance, pituitary tumor, certain drugs (such as tranquilizers or birth control pills), or a cyst under the darkened area that surrounds your nipple. Also, any woman who has had a baby, whether or not she breast-fed her baby, may later have galactorrhea.
A bloody discharge "I guess thats how its reffering to the redish colour" - may be due to abnormal breast tissue, mastitis (inflammation of the breast tissue), a tiny noncancerous tumor growing in a milk duct (intraductal papilloma), or breast cancer.
Another thing I just actually run into while i was reading some books that ,, " A hard blow to the chest may also cause nipple discharge."
Source: http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/breastinfections/
thanx neena, actually i am learning too from u.
ok what do u think about talking about accessory breast .. in another word extra breast... comment of breast line
I was not sure excatly what you were asking me there. Just to be sure before i start even going about talking on what you asked me... Are you talking about women that go about the increase of the brest, like silicon?"
Please let me know what you ment as i am not quiet sure if i understood it or not!
thank you...
sorry for delay neena, actually what i meant was the follwoing:
normal human has two breast but sometime accessory breast develops on a line known as the mammary line...this runs from armpit to bresat nipple then to middle of abdomen then goes down till groin.. accessory breast form anywhere in this line... if u have any aditional information u r most welcome
sorry for not understanding what you asked me before but i guess now i know what you mean.
During the fifth week of human develoment, the embryo develops a milk line that extends from the armpit to the groin. This usually disappears forming the breast tissue. In 2-6% of women however this band persists and accessory breast tissue can occur anywhere along this line. This accessory tissue may be in the form of accessory nipples to fully developed and functioning breast tissue.
The importance of accessory breast tissue is that it is susceptible to disease processes of the breast. At the time of delivery, colostral milk (witches milk) can be expressed from the nipple for 4-7 days postpartum in either sex. This secretion usually declines over the next 3 to 4 week period.
For more information you can visit the following sites:
archderm.ama-assn.org/issues/v137n10/ ffull/dof10023-3b.html
www.wishworld.com/babygear/ medela-breast-pump-accessory.asp
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.1.10 Copyright © 2012 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.