Breast Conditions
- Breast pain
- Breast lumps-benign
- Trauma
- Infections: mastitis
- Nipple discharge
- Breast cancer
Risk Factors - Fixed
- Being female
- Getting older
- Personal history of breast cancer
- Family history of breast or ovarian cancer
- Precancerous condition
diagnosed on prior breast biopsy - Beginning menstrual periods at early age
Risk Factors - Variable
- Excessive use of alcohol
- Overweight
- No regular exercise
- Never having children or having 1st pregnancy after age 30
- Never breast-fed child
Breast Cancer Myths
There is no scientific link between breast cancer and…
- Deodorants
- Underwire bras
- Cell phone use
- Injuries
- Breast cancer is NOT contagious!
Male Breast Cancer
Men have breast tissue, but it is usually flat and small.
Men can develop breast cancer. Less than 1% of all breast cancers develop in men
Risk factors:
- Growing older
- High estrogen levels
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Family history
- Radiation exposure
Breast Cancer Prevention
- Early detection
- Avoid unnecessary X-rays
- Genetic counseling if high risk
- Risk-lowering drugs (if high risk)
- Preventive surgery
Clinical and Self Breast Exams
The American Cancer Society no longer recommends clinical or self breast exams, as there is little evidence that these are effective methods of detecting breast cancer.
Instead, they recommend that women be generally aware of the appearance and feel of their breast
Breast Health-Imaging
- Mammogram
- Screening
- Diagnostic
- Looking for masses and calcifications
- Ultrasound
- MRI
- Others – nuclear medicine, PET-CT
Screening Mammogram
- No symptoms or signs
- Talk with your physician about when to begin screenings
- Earlier than age 40 for some women with increased risk
- Strong family history
- BRCA gene carrier
Breast Cancer Prognosis Depends On...
- The type of breast cancer
- The stage of the cancer
- The size of the tumor and whether it is in the breast only or has spread to lymph nodes or other places in the body
- Hormone receptor levels in the tumor tissue.
- Lab/gene testing
- How fast the tumor is growing.
- Age, general health, and menopausal status
Breast Cancer - Treatment
- Treatment plan: staging, tumor characteristics and profiles
- Surgery: lumpectomy, mastectomy, lymph nodes, reconstruction
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormonal and targeted therapy
- Coping strategies: resources, support groups
Conclusion
- Know your risk of breast cancer and what you can do to decrease it
- Get screened
- Do not ignore breast symptoms
- Do not be afraid to talk to your doctor
- Early detection is key!
- Cancers caught early can be successfully treated