Breast Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment

Breast Cancer forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk).

It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.

Survival Rate: 80% or above.

Symptoms

1. Nipple may turn inward or become flaky, red, or swollen.

2. Fluid may leak from the nipple.

3. Changes in the way the breast or nipple feels.

4. A lump or thickening in or near the breast, or in the underarm area.

5. The breast may change in size; the skin or the area around the nipple.

NOTE: In most cases, the breast cancer has no symptoms in early stages.So, at early stages Breast Cancer can be detected from the difference in the skin to other regions of skin of the breast.

Detection 

If you have any of these symptoms then you must consult your nearby health professional or doctor ASAP. There are some of these tests carried out

1. Physical Examination or Clinical examination by a doctor

2. An X-ray of Breast(Mammogram). This gives around 80% correct result.

3. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

4. Ultrasound Exam

5. Blood Test

6. Biopsy (removal of part of the affected region which contains healthy tissues also).

To know more tests click Here : Cancer Tests

Depending on the age group, density and location of lump, different types of detection techniques are used.

If the results are negative in different tests, then no need to worry about it. If the results are positive, then you need a lot of courage in the coming days. You are going to need a lot of emotional support as well as financial and mental support from the people around you. Truly speaking, the next few months will be the most challenging period of your life. For you, there is more than 80% survival rate. These life saving drugs will save you only when you have a belief of your own survival. So, be pessimistic. This period of life has given you a chance to think something different in your life. Also, to start a new life. Meet with your family and friends. take their help as much as possible. This will help you to be emotionally strong.

Treatment

Meet with your doctor, ask them about your chances of survival and the stages of your cancer. Your doctor need to perform some more tests to determine the stage of your cancer. If the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body then there is very good chances of your survival. These tests will be performed by your doctor in next few days.

1. Estrogen and Progesterone tests: This test determine the level of these hormone in Cancer cells. If the level of the hormone is high then cancer cells will grow rapidly. This test tells whether blocking of hormone will stop cancer growth or not.

2. Human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptor (HER2/neu) test.

You can have a combination of treatment from these treatments:-

a. Surgery

b. Radiotherapy

c. Chemotherapy

d. Hormone Therapy

e. Biological Treatments

Some other treatments which are in trial stages are

1. Cryoablation 

2. Virotherapy

Depending on these factors,doctors decide about your treatment based on the different factors. If you have any problem with the treatment types, then let your doctor know about your problem.

• The type of breast cancer you have
• The size of your breast tumour
• The stage of your breast cancer
• The grade of your cancer cells
• Whether you have had your menopause
• Whether your cancer cells have particular receptors
• Your general health

Hormone Therapy

It slows or stops the growth of hormone-sensitive tumors by blocking the body’s ability to produce hormones or by interfering with hormone action. Tumors that are hormone-insensitive do not respond to hormone therapy. For example, after the menopause oestrogen is made in body fat. It can stimulate the growth of some breast cancer cells. So hormone treatments for breast cancer lower the levels of oestrogen and progesterone in the body, or block their effects. This  therapy can be done either before or after the surgery based on your requirement.

You can read more about Hormone Therapy: Link 1, Link 2 .

List of some books which you want to read during these days:

Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer: A Survivor’s Guide for When Treatment Ends and the Rest of Your Life Begins (2nd edition)
Marisa and Ellen Weiss
Three Rivers Press 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0307460226

This American book discusses all the physical and emotional issues that may arise when you finish cancer treatment. It can help to put things into perspective.

Gentle Giants – Powerful story of one woman’s unconventional struggle against breast cancer
Brohn, Penny
Ebury Press 1987
ISBN 0712615083

The biography of the founder of Penny Brohn Cancer Care (formerly the Bristol Cancer Help Centre).

After getting ride of your cancer,you can also share your stories with the whole world in your own words by writing your biography through this website.

Trojan-Horse Therapy- New Hope for Metastasis Cancer Patients

Metastasis Cancer 

It is actually spreading of Cancer Cells from the place where it first started to another place in the body. Any type of Cancer can turn into Metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer has the same name and the same type of cancer cells as the original, or primary, cancer. For example, breast cancer that spreads to the lungs and forms a metastatic tumor is metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer.

Persons who have been already treated for cancer are at a high risk of developing metastasis cancer.

Mode of Metastasis

Cancer Cells metastasize by gaining access to the circulatory system, which includes Blood, vessels to transport the blood, and a heart to pump the blood, lymphatic system . Once inside a blood vessel, cancer cells can drift virtually anywhere in the body.
Cancer cells differ from normal cells in three ways:
(1) they divide when they should not;
(2) they invade surrounding tissues; and
(3) they move to other locations in the body.
Any tissue that undergoes cell division is susceptible to becoming cancerous.

A common cancer cell spreading pattern. Development of metastasis cancerous cell.

Fact 

The survival rate is very low in case of Cancer become metastasis. Even with continuous chemotherapy, chances of survival is very low.

Survival Rate (For five-year Period) : 70%

Survival Rate (After five-year Period): 10-20%

To See Study on survival rate of Metastasis Breast Cancer: Click Here

Treatment

1. Only few metastatic cancer can be cured to currents treatments.

2. In most cases of metastatic cancer, the goal of treatment is to control the growth of the cancer or to relieve the symptoms. Most cases, the death of cancer is due to metastatic cancer. Treatment only prolongs life. No Cure at the moment.

Future Outlook of Treatment

Metastasis Cancer treatment future outlook is still in nascent stage. Not a single method of treatment is tested outside the lab till now. There is two or three techniques which has shown promising results on animals. You might want to participate in the clinical trails if your cancer has stopped responding to the chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Trojan Horse Therapy:   

In this therapy, viruses attack the cancerous cells. The White Blood cells are mixed with the viruses which further delivers viruses inside the body. A research group in UK under Dr Emma Smith takes blood samples and extract macrophages (a part of the immune system which normally attacks foreign invaders).

Properties of Viruses Used

1. Avoid being attacked like HIV.

2. Travels with White Blood Cell.

In the study, the mice were injected with the white blood cells two days after a course of chemotherapy ended.

At this stage each white blood cell contained just a couple of viruses. However, once the macrophages enter the tumour the virus can replicate. After about 12 hours the white blood cells burst and eject up to 10,000 viruses each – which go on to infect, and kill, the cancerous cells.

Mechanism of Action: The oncolytic viruses divide themselves in the white blood cells. The division keeps going on until the cell burst takes place and viruses deliver into Cancerous cells.

This therapy needs to do simultaneous with the chemotherapy or radiation therapy as the white blood cells formed at a rapid pace after chemo in order to mitigate the damage of body from chemo. So, rapid formation of WBC’s help in viruses to divide in more number.

Promising Result:

Mice has been completely cured from the metastasis Prostate cancer after 40 days this treatment  in comparison to other mice who has been died without this therapy.

But, the research is still at an early stage and tests to show it is safe and effective in humans are still needed.

Link to research article : Click Here

Link to news article: Click Here

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