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Highlands Today correspondent
Published: September 30, 2012
Updated: September 30, 2012 - 12:00 AM
In an effort to provide information during breast cancer awareness month, here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
Q: How many people get breast cancer?
A: One in every eight women and one in every 1,000 men will get breast cancer in their lifetimes. This year, there will be approximately 207,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States.
Q: How dangerous is it?
A: Even though mortality rates have declined nationwide, there are close to 40,000 people who die each year because of breast cancer.
Q: Why is early detection important?
A: According to the National Cancer Database, survival rates depend in a large part on the stage at which breast cancer is detected. Women with cancer found in its earliest stages had up to a 93 percent survival rate, while patients with stage four breast cancer had only a 15 percent survival rate.
Q: Should I get annual screenings even if I don't feel a lump?
A: Breast cancer in its earliest stages may not present any symptoms. A mammogram can detect cancer even before you feel a mass.
Q: If I don't have anyone in my family that has had breast cancer, do I still need to get a mammogram?
A: Yes, over 85 percent of women that get breast cancer have no family history. Though having a close family member that has had breast cancer doubles a person's risk, only five to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are genetic mutations that are hereditary.
Q: Does my menstrual history affect my risk of getting breast cancer?
A: Starting your menstrual cycle before turning 12 years old or becoming menopausal after turning 55 years old can add to a woman's risk level, possibly because of a longer lifetime exposure to hormones.
Q: Does having children affect my risk?
A: Women who have no children or didn't give birth until after they were 30 years old are at a higher risk.
Q: How do I know if I have breast cancer?
A: The early signs and symptoms of breast cancer include: a lump or swelling in the breast or armpit, a change in the breast's shape, itching, pain, nipple discharge, skin dimpling, rash or redness.
Q: What are some of the screening tests available?
A: Digital mammograms allow for a precise diagnosis with new digital technology.
Breast ultrasound can be used as a follow-up to mammograms or if a patient has dense breast tissue.
Biopsy is when a tissue sample is taken from the abnormal growth. This can be done as a core, skin or surgical biopsy or with a fine-needle aspiration.
Cyst aspirations is used for problematic polycystic breasts.
Galactography is a low-dose X-ray using mammography and a contrast material to get pictures of the inside of the milk ducts.
MRI uses a powerful magnet linked to a computer to make detailed images that show the difference between normal and diseased tissue.
Q: What are the different types of breast cancer?
A: Breast cancer is categorized according to whether it started in the lobules (milk producing tissue) or the ducts (that carry the flow of the milk to the nipple).
Invasive lobular carcinoma begins in the lobules and spreads. This form of cancer can be hard to find because it doesn't always form a lump or show up on mammograms.
Lobular carcinoma in situ is a precancerous condition that is caused by changes in the lobules' lining. The increased risk of cancer with this condition means getting tested more often.
Ductal carcinoma in situ is an early stage of cancer in the milk ducts.
Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer. It starts in the milk ducts and has spread.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is an aggressive cancer that doesn't appear as a lump. It grows in sheets that resemble a rash.
Q: What are tumor markers?
A: Tumor markers are substances that are usually found in the blood or urine when cancer is present in the body. They give information on how likely the cancer is to grow, spread or reoccur. Estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER/PR) can affect cancer growth. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2 protein) can indicate a faster spreading cancer with a higher likelihood of reoccurrence.
Q: What is the difference between a benign and malignant tumor?
A: A benign tumor can be removed and usually won't come back. They are rarely life-threatening. Malignancies damage surrounding organs and tissues and can spread to other areas of the body.
Q: What types of surgeries are available?
A: Lumpectomy is the surgical removal of the tumor and some of the tissue around it.
Mastectomy is a surgery to remove a breast, performed to treat or prevent breast cancer.
Total mastectomy is the removal of the breast and the nipple.
Modified radical mastectomy removes not only the breast but the lymph nodes and sometimes the lining of the chest muscles.
Prophylactic double mastectomy is a preventative surgery done when there is a high risk of developing breast cancer.
Q: Are there risk factors that can be reduced by making changes in my lifestyle?
A: Since fat increases the body's production of estrogen, which can cause tumors to grow, losing weight and eating a nutritional low-fat diet may help reduce the risks associated with breast cancer.
Exercise also lowers estrogen levels. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, exercising as little as four hours a week can lower a person's breast cancer risk.
While there is no definitive link between breast cancer and smoking, the NBCF has suggested that "quitting can significantly increase survival rates."
Drinking alcohol increases breast cancer risk. The more consumed, the greater the risk.
While some risk factors like aging can't be changed, the best defense against breast cancer is to develop healthy habits, do monthly self-exams, and get regular screenings.
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