Breast Cancer
COM/172
September 3, 2013
Frank Nainoa, MA/Communications

Breast Cancer Breast Cancer is one of the most diagnosed cancers in women. According to “American Cancer Society” (2013) “one out of eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. For 2013, it is estimated about 232,340 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed and 39,620 women will die from this cancer” (2013). In this paper I plan to explain how early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are a prominent key to a woman’s survival. Early detection has proven helpful to many women in the fight against breast cancer. An important element in aiding women in finding abnormalities is self breast examinations. A self breast examination is an examination a woman conducts on herself by looking and examining her breast. Women should be aware of any change in size or shape, dimpling, or indentation in the breast. Any inversion of the nipple or discharge should be evaluated by a physician. Women typically start doing self breast examinations in their early twenties. Examinations are generally conducted once a month after a women’s menstrual cycle. Most women do these examinations in the shower or while getting dressed. Knowing what is normal is the first defense in finding abnormalities. The next helpful examination in early detection is a clinical breast examination. A clinical breast examination is much like a self breast examination a woman would do at home, the difference is the examination is performed by a physician or trained health care provider as part of a regular health examination. Women in their twenties and thirties should have this examinations every three years. Questions about abnormalities should be asked at this time so the physician can examine the area in question and can determine if further testing should be conducted. The most beneficial examination in assisting early detection is a mammogram. Mammograms are usually conducted annually on women 40 and older or on women considered high risk by their physician. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. This test is helpful in finding early signs of breast cancer, and because this is an x-ray image physicians can compare the images yearly to detect any changes in the breast. Because no test is one hundred percent accurate, it is important to incorporate all three screening examinations to improve the chances of detecting breast cancer early. Finding abnormalities can be very stressful and weigh heavily on a woman. Fearing the worst possible scenario always seems to play out in their mind. Not all abnormalities are cancerous, so further testing must be done to determine what exactly the abnormality is. A physician may prescribe different types of tests to help diagnose if the abnormality is cancerous. Many physicians prescribe imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or a breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) because these tests are noninvasive. An ultrasound uses sound waves to make images of the breast, it will be read by a radiologist to see if anything looks suspicious or needs further testing. A breast MRI is another imaging test that uses magnetic fields to create images, much like the mammogram, but it uses contrast to help define areas more clearly. Both of these tests can diagnose breast cancer. If the imaging tests come back suspicious of cancer, the next step is to confirm the diagnosis with a biopsy. There are different types of biopsies that may be performed. The first type is a fine needle aspiration; this consists of a physician inserting a small needle into the breast to extract fluid and cells. The next type is core needle biopsy; the physician inserts a larger needle to remove breast tissue to be analyzed. The last type and more invasive is a surgical biopsy. A surgical biopsy removes a part or the whole lump to be analyzed. Biopsies are reviewed by a pathologist who determines which cells are cancerous after examining them under a microscope. A physician may do one or a combination of biopsies to confirm the diagnosis of cancer. Once breast cancer is confirmed, tests need to be performed to determine what type of breast cancer and how far the cancer has spread or what stage the cancer is in. The results of these tests will determine the treatments available. A physician will discuss these treatments with the patient to determine the best path for a positive prognosis. Receiving the news of breast cancer can be shocking to many women, but detecting the cancer early gives various treatment options. According to, The American Cancer Society (2013) website surgery is always needed for a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. There are various types of surgeries, so the type of cancer and stage will determine what surgery is needed. The first type of surgery a woman may consider is called a breast-conserving surgery. This surgery only removes the affected part of the breast the size, and location of the tumor determines how much of the breast is removed. This surgery allows reconstruction to be done to the breast at the time of surgery or at a later date. The benefit of this surgery is a woman can keep her breast and does not have to endure the emotional turmoil of believing she is disfigured. The risks of this surgery are infection, bleeding, and pain at the incision. The second type of surgery is a total mastectomy; this is the removal of the whole breast. This surgery is considered when the cancer cells have affected multiple areas of the breast. Sometimes a double mastectomy is considered as a preventative move for higher risk patients. The benefit of this surgery is the cancer tumor is totally removed, yet it is not one hundred percent the cancer will not recur in other parts of the body. Many women must deal with the emotional stress of losing their breast and feelings of disfigurement. The risks of this surgery are the same as a breast-conserving surgery, infection, bleeding, and pain at the incision. Surgery is only the first step in the treatment process; many women must undergo various other treatments in conjunction with surgery. One treatment is radiation therapy; this is high-energy rays, much like an x-ray that destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy is generally started after a breast-conserving surgery and some mastectomy surgeries. Radiation therapy is five times a week for approximately five to six weeks. Side effects can include swelling and pain to the breast and fatigue. Another type of treatment is chemotherapy; this therapy consists of drugs used to kill cancer. This therapy can be given intravenously or by mouth. The drugs are introduced into the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body that may have broken apart from the original tumor. This therapy can be used before or after surgery. Chemotherapy is used before surgery in an effort to shrink the cancer so the excision will be less invasive, using this therapy after surgery helps kill cancer in the body that may have broken off the initial growth site. Side effects of chemotherapy are hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. The last type of treatment is hormone therapy, a drug used to block certain hormones from aiding the cancer growth. This treatment is used mainly after surgery, and when cancer has come back after treatment. This is a pill taken daily. The side effects of this therapy are fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings. The combination of treatments can be confusing. Women should talk with their physician to discuss treatment options and decide which treatments will give them the best chance for survival. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women today partly because women are empowering themselves with awareness and knowledge about this cancer. Women are aware this cancer does not discriminate against who it affects. They recognize how important early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are to their survival. Women are fighting every step of the way, until there is a cure, women will always have hope.

References American Cancer Society. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org
Breast cancer; computer-aided detection improves early breast cancer identification. (2006). Science Letter, 198. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/209163422?accountid=458
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov
National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov
Susan B Komen. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.komen.org