What are the types of breast cancer?

Breast cancer was originally described according to its appearances, so words like scirrhous (meaning woody) were used and still appear in the literature.

More recently, breast cancer has been classified according to its appearances when under the microscope.

Early pathologists classified breast cancers into 'invasive ductal' cancers and 'invasive lobular' cancers, believing that invasive ductal cancers arose in ducts and invasive lobular cancers in the lobules. However, it is now clear that all invasive ductal and invasive lobular cancers arise either in the terminal duct or the lobule. As the terms invasive ductal and lobular are in such common usage and as they have different appearances under the microscope they are still used.

A more logical classification divides tumours into those of 'special' and 'no special' type. Invasive carcinoma of no special type is also commonly referred to as invasive ductal carcinoma. It is the most common type and accounts for up to 85 per cent of all breast cancers.

Special types of tumour have particular microscopic features and these include invasive lobular carcinoma, invasive tubular, cribriform, medullary and mucinous cancers, with other types being uncommon. Many of the special-type cancers have a better prognosis - in other words the patient has a higher chance of survival.

When a cancer is examined under the microscope, it is usually possible to assess how aggressive it is: in other words how far and how fast it is likely to spread. The tumour may be assigned to one of three grades ranging from grade I to grade III in order of seriousness. For instance, a grade I cancer is non-aggressive and unlikely to cause harm. In contrast, grade III tumours are aggressive and likely to cause harm, but can sometimes be controlled with effective treatment.netdoctor.co.uk

What are the risk factors leading to the development of breast cancer?

Age

The incidence of breast cancer increases with age and doubles every 10 years until the menopause when the rate of increase slows.

Approximately a quarter of breast cancers affect women under the age of 50, a half occur between the ages of 50 and 69 and the remaining quarter develop in women who are 70 years or older.

Geographical variation

There is quite a difference in incidence and death rate of breast cancer between different countries. The biggest difference is between Eastern and Western countries.

Recent, age-adjusted figures show that the rate of breast cancer per 100,000 women is 24.3 in Japan and 26.5 in China compared to 68.8 in England and Wales and 72.7 in Scotland and 90.7 in North America in white females.

However, studies of women from Japan who emigrate to the US show that their rates of breast cancer rise to become similar to US rates within just one or two generations, indicating that factors relating to everyday activities are more important than inherited factors in breast cancer.

10 Ways to Manage Fear after Diagnosis

1. As you begin gathering information to make decisions, get to know the people on your medical team and make every effort to meet them in person. Turn faceless doctors into known resources. These are the people you've hired onto your team to help you. You'll find out who is the best communicator, who can answer which questions, who is available to help you when you need it most.
2. Find a doctor who communicates with you in a way that is comfortable for you, who invites your questions and takes your concerns seriously, who gives you as much or as little information as you feel comfortable with at any given moment.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Initially, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. A lump may be too small for you to feel or to cause any unusual changes you can notice on your own. Often, an abnormal area turns up on a screening mammogram (x-ray of the breast), which leads to further testing.

In some cases, however, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it's important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor.

According to the American Cancer Society, any of the following unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer:

• swelling of all or part of the breast
• skin irritation or dimpling
• breast pain
• nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
• redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
• a nipple discharge other than breast milk
• a lump in the underarm area

These changes also can be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. It’s important to get any breast changes checked out promptly by a doctor.breastcancer.org

What causes breast cancer?

Certain changes in DNA can cause normal breast cells to become cancer. DNA is the chemical in each of our cells that makes up our genes -- the instructions for how our cells work. Some inherited DNA changes (mutations) can increase the risk for developing cancer and cause the cancers that run in some families. For instance, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes -- they keep cancer tumors from forming. When they are changed (mutated), they no longer cause cells to die at the right time, and cancer is more likely to develop.
But most breast cancer DNA changes happen in single breast cells during a woman's life rather than having been inherited. So far, the causes of most of the DNA mutations that could lead to breast cancer are not known.

Treatment Of Breast Cancer Emedicine

Fοr 5 οf those years I hаνе worked іn a healthcare organization. One οf thе mοѕt talked аbουt topics іѕ breast cancer аnԁ breast health. Treatment Of Breast Cancer EmedicineThe bottom line іѕ thаt although breast cancer іѕ nοt preventable, іt іѕ usually straightforwardly detectable.

Note: Breast cancer іѕ nοt rасе specific – аƖƖ races ɡеt breast cancer!

Note: Breast cancer іѕ nοt gender specific – men ɡеt breast cancer tοο!

Whеn breast cancer іѕ caught іn thе early stages thе chances οf survival аrе very high. Delight don’t add yourself οr a friend οr Ɩονеԁ one tο thе growing list οf statistics. Take action today! Here іѕ a simple three раrt action step рƖοt tο hеƖр уου wіth thе early detection οf breast cancer.

Pаrt One: Fixed Mammograms

Ladies, thіѕ іѕ thе mοѕt vital раrt οf maintaining ехсеƖƖеnt breast health: fixed mammograms. Mammograms аrе qυісk, simple x-rays similar tο thе x-rays уου ɡеt аt a dentist’s office visit. In fact, mammograms really υѕе less radiation thаn a dental x-ray!

Mammograms рƖасе уου light years ahead whеn іt comes tο cancer treatment bесаυѕе thеу саn detect breast lumps long previous tο уου οr уουr doctor сουƖԁ physically feel a breast lump. Bесаυѕе early detection іѕ a key tο survival, уου need tο рƖасе fixed mammograms οn уουr schedule.

Thе American Cancer Society recommends fixed mammograms fοr аƖƖ women starting аt age 40. If уου hаνе a family history οf breast cancer, уουr physician mау want уου tο initiation a fixed mammogram schedule much earlier.

Thе older уου ɡеt, thе higher уουr chances οf breast cancer. Over 75% οf аƖƖ breast cancers occur іn women whο аrе 50 οr older. Over 50% οf аƖƖ breast cancers occur іn women whο аrе 65 οr older.

Ladies – listen tο mе! Gеt a fixed mammogram! Delight! Fοr thе sake οf уουr friends аnԁ family whο Ɩіkе уου ѕο much, schedule a yearly mammogram іf уου аrе 40 οr older οr hаνе a family history οf breast cancer.

Pаrt Two: Clinical Breast Exam

Lung Cancer Secrets Revealed Click here

OnƖу уουr physician οr nurse wіƖƖ ԁο a clinical breast exam fοr уου. AƖƖ women іn thеіr 20′s аnԁ 30′s ѕhουƖԁ hаνе a clinical breast exam аѕ раrt οf thеіr annual health checkups аt smallest amount еνеrу 3 years. Wіth thе age οf 40, thіѕ ѕhουƖԁ bе done еνеrу year without fail.

Whаt WіƖƖ Happen In A Clinical Breast Exam?

Thе physician οr nurse wіƖƖ take уουr personal health history bу asking уου a series οf health history qυеѕtіοnѕ. Thіѕ wіƖƖ include asking аbουt family history. Next thе physician οr nurse wіƖƖ look аt уουr breasts whіƖе уου stand іn front οf a mirror wіth уουr hands οn уουr hips. Irrevocably thе physician οr nurse wіƖƖ physically exam уουr entire breast up tο thе neck, іn уουr armpit, thе center οf уουr chest аnԁ tο thе bottom οf уουr rib cage. Irrevocably thеу wіƖƖ discuss genteel breast health wіth уου аѕ well аѕ ѕhοw уου hοw tο perform breast self-exams. Thе entire process саn take up tο 10 minutes. It ѕhουƖԁ rarely bе under 5 minutes.

Pаrt Three: Breast Self-Exams

Yου need tο become familiar wіth hοw уουr breasts look аnԁ feel regularly ѕο thаt уου аrе attentive οf аnу changes frοm normal. If уου notice changes, report thеѕе tο уουr physician immediately.

One οf thе mοѕt vital steps уου саn take іѕ tο ԁο monthly breast self-exams. An simple way tο remember tο ԁο thіѕ іѕ tο check whіƖе уου take a shower. Sοmе organizations even hаνе a shower card уου саn hang frοm уουr shower head wіth punch out holes fοr each month, ѕο уου саn straightforwardly track whеn уου hаνе done уουr exams.

Remember thаt уου need tο physically exam уουr breasts bу hand аѕ well аѕ look іn thе mirror fοr аnу visible changes. If уου rесkοn уου′ve found a lump οr noticeable exchange, ѕау уουr doctor immediately.

Mοѕt breast lumps аrе NOT cancer, bυt уου won’t know until уου qυеѕtіοn аnԁ hаνе іt checked out.

Take Action Now!

Stаrt уουr fixed breast health рƖοt today whісh includes fixed mammograms, clinical breast exams аnԁ monthly self-exams. Whеn breast cancer іѕ caught іn thе early stages survival rates аrе greatest. Take action now – fοr yourself, fοr уουr friends аnԁ family whο Ɩіkе уου ѕο much!Healthmedicalcare

What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. To better understand breast cancer, it helps to understand how any cancer can develop.

Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The genes are in each cell’s nucleus, which acts as the “control room” of each cell. Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. But over time, mutations can “turn on” certain genes and “turn off” others in a cell. That changed cell gains the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it and forming a tumor.

A tumor can be benign (not dangerous to health) or malignant (has the potential to be dangerous). Benign tumors are not considered cancerous: their cells are close to normal in appearance, they grow slowly, and they do not invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous. Left unchecked, malignant cells eventually can spread beyond the original tumor to other parts of the body.

The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast.

Breast Anatomy

Over time, cancer cells can invade nearby healthy breast tissue and make their way into the underarm lymph nodes, small organs that filter out foreign substances in the body. If cancer cells get into the lymph nodes, they then have a pathway into other parts of the body. The breast cancer’s stage refers to how far the cancer cells have spread beyond the original tumor (seeStages of Breast Cancer tablefor more information).

Breast cancer is always caused by a genetic abnormality (a “mistake” in the genetic material). However, only 5-10% of cancers are due to an abnormality inherited from your mother or father. About 90% of breast cancers are due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and the “wear and tear” of life in general.

While there are steps every person can take to help the body stay as healthy as possible (such as eating a balanced diet, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and exercising regularly), breast cancer is never anyone's fault. Feeling guilty, or telling yourself that breast cancer happened because of something you or anyone else did, is not productive.

Stages of Breast Cancer

Stage	Definition
Stage 0	Cancer cells remain inside the breast duct, without invasion into normal adjacent breast tissue.
Stage I	Cancer is 2 centimeters or less and is confined to the breast (lymph nodes are clear).
Stage IIA	No tumor can be found in the breast, but cancer cells are found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm)  OR  the tumor measures 2 centimeters or smaller and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes  OR  the tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
Stage IIB	The tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes  OR  the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
Stage IIIA	No tumor is found in the breast. Cancer is found in axillary lymph nodes that are sticking together or to other structures, or cancer may be found in lymph nodes near the breastbone  OR  the tumor is any size. Cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, which are sticking together or to other structures, or cancer may be found in lymph nodes near the breastbone.
Stage IIIB	The tumor may be any size and has spread to the chest wall and/or skin of the breast  AND  may have spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone.  Inflammatory breast cancer is considered at least stage IIIB.
Stage IIIC	There may either be no sign of cancer in the breast or a tumor may be any size and may have spread to the chest wall and/or the skin of the breast  AND  the cancer has spread to lymph nodes either above or below the collarbone  AND  the cancer may have spread to axillary lymph nodes or to lymph nodes near the breastbone.
Stage IV	The cancer has spread — or metastasized — to other parts of the body.

breastcancer.org

Effectiveness of Alternative Treatment for Breast Cancer

Timely diagnosis and surgical treatment though is the only way of treating the exacerbated breast cancers, the cancer patients look actually for result-oriented alternative treatments for their breast cancer to avoid some complications such as surgery, pain, expenditure and side effects of the medicines. We are furnishing in this article some crucial information on breast cancer including its effective treatment as well so that you do not get paranoid of cancer that is supposed to be a dreaded disease in the world causing its fatal impact on the patients.

What is the breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a malignant disease occurring within the tissues of the female breast and making overall condition of woman much critical or deplorable calling for prompt medical attention. Malignant tumor (aka carcinoma in situ) is supposed to be the cancer affecting the female breast as superficial cancer. The breast cancer originates within the muscular-cells or the tissues belonging to milk-supplying inner breast lobules (inner lining). Such type of breast cancer is identified as the ductal carcinomas and need prompt medical attention as any negligence on a part of the woman may turn its condition beyond recovery. The breast cancer though is supposed to be fatal in nature, if not treated on time, the mortality of the breast-cancer-affected individuals depends upon the type of breast cancer the patient is suffering from and a stage that the breast cancer reaches on. Some breast cancers, sensitive to estrogen and found in the human body, are not the dreaded cancer as they can easily be diagnosed and treated by simply blocking the cancerous tissues as a part of medical treatment. Looking like the tumors, the estrogen-related breast cancers are not as aggressive in nature as are the the hormonal cancers. The breast cancers, caused due to hormone receptors, affect mostly the armpits and are considered to be the genetic cancers. Breast cancer radiating to the lymph nodes in the armpits are supposed to be the dreaded cancer or disease, required to be treated only by the doctors.

It is a pain on the female breast and and nipples’ getting de-shaped or inverted that causes a fear of breast cancer seemingly substantiating the breast cancer. A change in shape or size of the nipples is a vivid sign of breast cancer calling for prompt treatment to the condition. A pain on breast though is the symptom of breast cancer it shouldn’t be taken as authenticating the breast cancer as there are still several other conditions which may be accountable for such type of pain in the breast. The Paget’s disease in the breast also is a symptom of cancer which may get exacerbated if not dwelt on by the doctor on time. The ladies affected with such type of disease notice redness and minor cracks on their nipples and experience tingling sensation, itching, high sensitivity, inflammation and tenderness on the nipples, the vivid signs of the breast cancer. The ladies affected with breast cancer, caused due to Paget’s disease, notice a substance also discharging from their nipples which authenticate breast cancer. The breast cancer allows some typical diseases also to emerge, such as metastatic disease that spreads to other regions of body like cancerous symptom. Dwelling on the genetic nature of such type of cancers the researchers had explored an outstanding way of treating it by annihilating the DNA, responsible of the eruption of dreaded genetic cancer. The doctors administered the cancer-affected patientcyclophosphamide plus doxorubicin, a cancer-causing drug for treating the breast cancer, but only in vain, as its effect on health proved to be contrary. It annihilated the growing cells and tissues causing at the same many some side effects as well within the human body. But some medicated drugs such as cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF) still were used as the best treatment for breast cancer. A few cancers, despite being surgically treated, persist in the human body and some monoclonal antibodies such as trastuzumab are used to deal with such type of breast cancers effectively.

Way of treating the breast cancer
The breast cancers are administered an effective treatment only after being classified and being considered by many of its symptoms. Prior to treatment, the breast cancers are looked into by TNM or a few specific aspects such as pathology, grade, receptor status and the genes, determined through patient’s DNA test. The TNM’s T is meant for the size of tumor (cancer), N for ignoring the protraction of lymph nodes (N) and M for randomized radiation of cancer. The breast cancer (aka malignant disease) passes through four specific stages, requiring result oriented treatment. The rudimentary stage of the breast cancer is termed as DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in situ) or LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ), while the breast cancer belonging to three stages is known as early cancer. The breast cancers belonging to these stages can be dealt with medical treatment provided it is brought into the notice of doctors. But fourth and last stage of breast cancer is an exacerbated stage of cancer calling either for surgical treatment or some effective alternative treatment to check the breast cancer.

Type of breast cancer affecting the women
The doctors initiating any treatment for breast cancer initially go through the appearance and overall symptoms of the cancer-affected breast and then classify them into a particular type of breast cancer. Maximum numbers of the breast cancers are caused due to epithelium existing near the ducts and are known as the ductal-breast cancers.  

Symptoms of breast cancer
Inverted nipples, lumps and indented surfaced skin do substantiate the breast cancer as the symptoms and maximum numbers of the women are affected of breast cancer with lumps requiring effective breast cancer treatment. The individuals shouldn’t focus their attention only on breast to identify breast cancer as the lumps in the lymph also are live example of breast cancer.

Alternative treatment for breast cancer
Do you know what the alternative treatment for breast cancer is. The alternative breast cancer treatment is the traditional therapy or adjunct treatment controlling the cancerous syndromes and helping the patient live a healthy life. It is partial success or failure in treating the cancer through medical treatment that calls for alternative breast cancer treatment. But some traditional cancer treatments adhered to, by the cancer patients as the alternative breast cancer treatment, are supposed to be noxious in nature putting a question mark on traditional cancer therapy. But some therapies such as Ayurveadic therapy, Biological Therapies, Antineoplastons treatment, Gaston Naessens therapy, revici therapy, hydrazine sulfate, immuno-Augmentative therapy, herbal therapies, nutritional therapies and metabolic therapiesare a few effective alternative treatment for the breast cancer.