Category: Breast Health

Not only older adults, those with serious health conditions such as breast cancer are also at a higher risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19.  Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States. According to BREASTCANCER.org, for women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.

Those with weak immune systems or lung issues have a much higher risk of serious complications if they become infected with this virus. Some breast cancer treatments such as standard chemotherapies (Taxol, Taxotere, Cytoxan and carboplatin), certain targeted therapies (Ibrance, Kisqali, Verzenio and Piqray) and immunotherapies can weaken the immune system and possibly cause lung problems.

Those receiving breast cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic must keep these things in mind (BREASTCANCER.org) –

• People with breast cancer can also get a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines can be used in people with weakened immune systems, including those being treated for cancer. Though experts recommend COVID-19 vaccine for most people with cancer or a history of cancer, make sure you discuss with your doctor and follow his/her instructions on whether to get vaccinated or not.
• The virus is really contagious and the main way it spreads is through close contact with others. To prevent infection, make sure to continue frequently washing your hands and not touching your face in public.
• While the common symptoms for COVID-19 include fever, chills, cough, fatigue, headache, and sore throat, some severe symptoms that require immediate medical attention include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, constant chest pain or pressure, confusion/inability to awaken and bluish color in the lips or face.
• If you experience any symptoms that you suspect as those of COVID-19, take medical help. If you are receiving treatment for breast cancer or taking any treatment that can suppress the immune system, it is important to let your doctor know your condition and take advice. Before showing up at a doctor’s office, call the doctor and discuss the symptoms you have, so that they can take necessary precautions to prevent exposure to others.
• In case you are sick, protect others by – staying at home, separating yourself from others, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, monitoring your symptoms and temperature, and wearing a face mask when around others.
• The best way to avoid becoming sick from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Those not vaccinated should follow recommended social distancing practices such as – staying at home; avoiding public spaces, public transportation, unnecessary travel and social gatherings; working from home; avoiding physical contacts; and staying at least 6 feet away from people in public.

To protect yourself and help reduce the spread of the virus, it’s important to listen to health experts who recommend staying at home, limiting contact with others, wearing a mask when you are around people, following other precautions, and getting vaccinated when and if you can.

Staying alert and up to date with the current COVID-19 scenario, especially in the area where you live and maintaining social distancing practices can help you stay safe from this contagious virus to a great extent.

Breast cancer occurs when breast cells grow abnormally. It is the most common cancer diagnosed in the US after skin cancer. There are different types of breast cancer based on the particular cells in the breast that are affected. Nearly all breast cancers are carcinomas, or tumors that start in the epithelial cells lining the organs and tissues in the body. When carcinomas form in the breasts, they are called adenocarcinoma. Tumors first appear in cells in the milk ducts or the milk-producing glands.

There are many types and subtypes of breast cancer:

Types of Breast Cancer

• Non-Invasive Breast Cancers: These cancers are present in the milk ducts or lobules in the breast. They haven’t spread out of the milk duct and have a low risk of becoming invasive. Non-invasive cancers are called carcinoma in situ and are sometimes referred to as pre-cancers. The two types of non-invasive cancers are:
  
  • Ductal Carcinoma in Situ: This is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. DCIS starts in the breast’s milk ducts and does not spread into any surrounding tissues as it is non-invasive. DCIS is not life-threatening, but having it can increase your chance of having invasive breast cancer later.
  • Lobular Carcinoma in Situ: LCIS is not cancer. It is an uncommon condition in which cells grow abnormally in the breast’s milk glands (lobules). If you are digonosed with LCIS, it shows you have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
• Invasive Breast Cancers: These are cancers that have spread outside the ducts or lobules of the breast into the breast tissues surrounding it. ‘Early breast cancer’ is refers to cancer in the breast that may have spread to surrounding lymph nodes in the breast or armpit but not anywhere else in the body.
  
  • Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Cancer cells grow outside the ducts and spread into other parts of the breast tissue. Invasive cancer cells can also spread, metastasize, to other body parts. IDC is the most common form of breast cancer and represents 80% of all breast cancer diagnoses.
  • Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: ILC is the second most common type of breast cancer after IDC. The cancer cells spread from the milk glands to the nearby breast tissues. Over time, it can also spread to other parts of the body.
  • Paget’s Disease of the Nipple or Paget’s Disease of the Breast: This is a rare condition associated with breast cancer. Eczema-like changes will happen to the nipple skin and the area surrounding the nipple. Usually, it is a sign of breast cancer in the tissue behind the nipple.
  • Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and aggressive form of invasive breast cancer. It affects the blood vessels in the skin and/or lymphatic vessels of the breast. Although IBC is often a type of IDC, its symptoms, outlook, and treatment differs from other breast cancer types.
  • Phyllodes Tumors of the Breast: They are an unsusal presentation of breast cancer. Some phyllodes tumors are cancerous. They are a form of sarcoma and grow in the connective tissues of the breast, not in the ducts. They tend to grow fast, but rarely spread outside the breast. Phyllodes tumors are a rare cancer and confirmation is required by a second pathologist.
  • Locally Advanced Breast Cancer: Locally advanced breast cancer is large or has spread to other surrounding areas like skin, muscle, or chest wall and have extensive local lymph node involvement.
  • Metastatic Breast Cancer: Metastatic breast cancer is also called stage IV breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. The cancer cells of the original tumor in the breasts break away and travel to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system especially to the liver, bones, brain, or lungs.

Subtypes of Breast Cancer

Subtypes are based on the genes a cancer expresses.

• Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer: This type of cancer needs female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone to grow and reproduce. Hormone therapy drugs that lower estrogen levels or block estrogen receptors are used to treat this type of breast cancer.
• HER2 Positive Breast Cancer: This is a type of breast cancer that tests positive for a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). It promotes cancer cell growth. This type of cancer is said to be more aggressive than other breast cancer types. A drug called Herceptin is used to treat HER2 positive breast cancer and has proven a very effective treatment.
• Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Triple-negative breast cancer does not have receptors like estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 protein that are usually found in other breast cancers. This means that traditional breast cancer treatment or hormone therapy would not be effective to treat this cancer type. Here the patient requires chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiation.

Breast cancer is not a single disease. As there are different types and subtypes of this disease, the treatment that a patient receives for her breast cancer will differ. There are risk factors of breast cancer that you can change and cannot change. Understand them and take appropriate steps to detect breast cancer early to reduce disease risk.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women. Detecting breast cancer early and getting treatment at the right time are the most crucial strategies to prevent deaths from this disease. There are methods to detect breast cancer early, when it is small and has not spread. When the disease is detected in an early stage, chances of successful treatment and better outcomes are high due to the availability of increased number of treatments, longer survival and improved quality of life.

The American Cancer Society recommends screening guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer. Screening tests help find breast cancer before any symptoms (like a lump that can be felt) appear.

Screening involves performing tests and exams to find a disease in people who don’t have any symptoms. Early detection means finding and diagnosing a disease earlier than if your waited for symptoms to start. Breast cancer found during screening tests will be probably smaller and still restricted to the breast. Breast cancer size and the range of spread are crucial factors in estimating the prognosis of a woman with this disease.

The American Cancer Society recommends mammography, clinical breast exam, and breast self-exam as early detection methods for women at average risk. Average risk women are considered as the women who don’t:

• Have a strong family history of breast cancer.
• Have a strong personal history of breast cancer.
• Have a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer like in a BRCA gene and has not had chest radiation therapy before 30 years old.

The recommended detection methods for women at average risk are as follows:

• Mammogram: Mammogram is the most important screening test for breast cancer. It is a low-dose x-ray of the breasts. Having regular mammograms can help detect breast cancer at an early stage, when the treatment is most effective.

  If your mammogram is normal, continue to get mammograms according to recommended time intervals. It helps the radiologists to compare your latest results with the previous results and can look for changes in your breasts. If your mammogram is abnormal, you will need more tests, mammograms, or exams to determine if the detected change is cancer or not. You will also be referred to a breast specialist or surgeon to diagnose the problems. They will do follow-up tests to diagnose breast cancer or to find that there is no cancer.

  Generally, regular mammograms aren’t recommended for women under 40 years of age, in part because breast tissue tends to be dense and it makes the mammograms less effective. For younger women with a family history of breast cancer and other risk factors, the American Cancer Society recommends mammograms for women ages:

  • Between 40 and 44 years of age should have a choice to begin screening mammograms yearly if they would like.
  • From 45 to 54 should do mammograms yearly.
  • 55 and over should continue getting mammograms every 1 to 2 years.

   
  While mammograms are the best cancer screening tests, women should understand that they are not 100% accurate in showing if a woman has breast cancer. They can give a negative result even if the breast cancer is present and a positive result even though there is no cancer in the breast. So, it is important that women who do mammograms know what to expect and understand the benefits and limitations of screening.

  Tips for getting a mammogram:

  • Try not to get your mammogram during your periods or the week before you get your period because your breasts may be tender or swollen then.
  • Don’t wear deodorant, perfume or powder on the day of your mammogram; these products will display as white spots on the X-ray.
• Clinical breast exam and breast self-exam: Clinical breast examination is the examination done by a trained health professional of woman’s breasts before the woman herself notes it. It is performed to detect if there is any changes on the breast like skin changes, nipple discharge, lumpiness, or change in shape or size. There is only a little evidence showing that this method is effective for early detection of breast cancer who are already undergoing regular mammogram screening. For women who are not getting regular mammograms, this method may be useful. This method is not recommended for breast cancer screening among average risk women at any age.

  Regular breast self-exams or clinical breast exams are not recommended by the American Cancer Society as a part of a routine breast cancer screening schedule; but it doesn’t mean that these exams should never be done. In some situations, for women at average risks, healthcare providers still offer clinical breast exams along with offering counseling about the risk and early detection. Many women find it comfortable doing regular self-exams to keep track of the look and feel of their breasts. Keep in mind that there is a very little evidence showing that doing these exams routinely is helpful for women at average risk of breast cancer.

Women who are at high risk for breast cancer based on specific factors should get a mammogram and a breast MRI annually, starting age 30. Women who are considered at high risk are the one who have:

• A first degree relative (parents, brother, sister, or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation and haven’t had any genetic testing themselves.
• Any syndromes like Cowden syndrome or Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome or have any first degree-relatives with any of these syndromes.
• A known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation.
• A lifetime risk of breast cancer of about 20% to 25% or greater according to risk assessment tools (mainly based on family history) and had chest radiation therapy between the ages 10 and 30.

A woman should be familiar with how her breasts usually look and feel and consult the doctor if there are changes such as:

• A new lump or lumpiness, specifically one-sided.
• Change in breast or nipple size or shape.
• Unusual pain, specifically one-sided.
• Nipple discharge.
• Change in the breast skin.

There are risk factors for breast cancer that you can change and cannot change. Understanding these risk factors and taking steps to detect breast cancer early will help reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.

Breast cancer occurs when some breast cancer cells starts to grow abnormally and result in a lump or mass. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. The American Cancer Society predicted that in 2020:

• Around 276,480 of women (new cases) will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
• Around 48,530 new cases of carcinoma in situ (non-invasive, the earliest form of breast cancer) will be diagnosed.
• Around 42,170 women are expected to die from breast cancer.

In women, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. (lung cancer is the first). It is estimated that 1 in 38 women will die from breast cancer.
The main factors that can increase the risk of having breast cancer are:

• Environment
• Not maintaining a healthy lifestyle
• Not maintaining a healthy weight
• Not following a healthy diet
• Genetics
• Getting older

Increased awareness about breast cancer can help to detect breast cancer early. It allows the patient to get better treatment, which reduces the risk of death.

People should be aware of the things that can be controlled by themselves to prevent or lower the risk of breast cancer. Here are some things you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer:

• Eat healthy foods: It is important to avoid sugary beverages, fried foods, processed foods, and red meat and include dietary fiber and antioxidants, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and foods that contain healthy fat such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc. Your physician can recommend a proper diet chart for you to follow.
• Avoid consuming alcohol on a regular basis: Studies show that regular consumption of alcohol increases the risk of developing breast cancer. It is reported that alcohol consumption can lead to rising estrogen levels and can damage DNA (breastcancer.org). If your alcohol consumption is more than a drink a day, then you should stop or cut it down to lower the risk of breast cancer.
• Breastfeed as much as you can: Breastfeeding can help you to shed breast tissue, and this removes the breast cells with potential DNA damage, thus reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. It will also provides excellent health benefits for your child.
• Stay physically active: The American Cancer Society suggests that adults get 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity or 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or both combined each week. Regular exercise can lower the risk of breast cancer.
• Maintain a healthy weight: The risk of developing breast cancer will increase if you are obese. Having more fatty tissue can increase the level of estrogen and thus increase the chance of developing breast cancer. Also, being overweight can lead to higher insulin levels which is linked to breast cancer.
• Avoid hormone therapy after menopause: It is also known as post-menopausal hormone therapy (PHT). Women use this therapy to ease symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and sweating. It increases the risk of breast cancer. Women who choose post-menopausal hormones should do it for the shortest time possible. To take best decision about this, talk with your healthcare provider.
• Avoid smoking: Everbody knows the harmful effects of smoking. It lowers the quality of life and increase the risk of many diseases, including different types of cancer. Risk of breast cancer are higher among women who started smoking during adolescence.
• Avoid the use of birth control pills: Using birth control pills have both risks and advantages. Women who take birth control pills have an increased risk of breast cancer. If you stop using the pill, the risk is reduced.
• Screening mammograms: Women are advised to have mammogram screening starting at the age of 40 to detect cancer early when it is more treatable. If something is found in the mammogram, more tests may be needed to confirm whether it is cancer or not. Early detection improves the opportunity for better treatment options.

Women with a family history of cancer should take proper steps to protect themselves. Maintain a healthy lifestyle, and don’t forget to self-examine your breasts regularly. If you notice any changes, consult a doctor without any delay. Symptoms of breast cancer include pain, swelling, redness or thickening of skin. Following these stesps can lower your risk of developing breast cancer and improve quality of life.