Sir Francis Bacon said it best: Knowledge is
power.
✦
Tat holds true for numerous things
in life, including breast cancer—a disease
many women fear more than any other.
✦
If
you worry about breast cancer, learning
more about the disease may help ease some
of those concerns. And if you or someone you
love is ever diagnosed with breast cancer,
knowledge can help you make informed
decisions about treatment.
✦
What follows is
an overview of some of the important
things to know about breast cancer. You
can f ind out more by talking to your
doctor or visiting the website of the American Can-
cer Society, www.cancer.org.
1
THE NUMBERS
Breast cancer is one of the most
common cancers among women in this country.
Approximately 200,000 women are diagnosed with
breast cancer every year. More than 40,000 die from it.
But there has been good progress over the last several
decades in both detecting and treating breast cancer, says
Debbie Saslow, PhD, director of Breast and Gynecologic
Cancer for the American Cancer Society (ACS).
“When it’s found in its earliest stages, the fve-year
survival rate for breast cancer is now 97 percent,” says
Dr. Saslow. “For breast cancer overall, the survival rate
is at 90 percent.”
2
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BREAST CANCER
Cancer
begins in cells. Cells normally follow a regular pattern of
growth, Dr. Saslow says. Tey grow, divide and form new
cells. And when cells become old or damaged, they die.
But sometimes the process goes wrong. Cells multiply
too quickly, and old or damaged cells don’t die. Te ex-
cess cells form an abnormal mass that becomes cancer.
In the case of breast cancer, that abnormal mass can
be considered either noninvasive or invasive.
Noninvasive breast cancer means the disease is con-
fned to the area where it began, such as in a duct or a
milk-producing lobule.
Invasive breast cancer occurs when the cancer cells
break away from the original tumor. Tese cells can en-
ter blood or lymph vessels and travel to other parts of
the body. Tey can attach to tissue elsewhere and form
new tumors.
3
THE ROLE OF RECEPTORS
Te hormone estrogen
fuels the growth of about two-thirds of breast cancers,
Dr. Saslow says. Tis type of cancer is called estrogen
receptor-positive, or ER-positive.
“Receptors are on cells, sort of like antibodies,” she
explains. “Estrogen binds to the receptor and sets of the
abnormal growth pattern.”
Not all receptors bind to estrogen. Some may bind
to the hormone progesterone and are progesterone
receptor-positive.
About 25 percent of breast cancers are HER2-positive,
which means they have too much HER2/neu protein or
too many copies of its gene. Tese cancers tend to grow
and spread faster than other types of breast cancer. “It’s
an aggressive type of breast cancer,” Dr. Saslow says.
4
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
In its earliest stages,
breast cancer may not have any signs or symptoms.
As it grows, however, it can cause changes that are
both visible and palpable, such as:
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A new lump or thickening in or near the breast or
underarm area.
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A dimpling or puckering of the skin.
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Pain in the breast or nipple.
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Flaky, red or swollen skin anywhere on the breast.
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A nipple that suddenly turns inward.
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Blood or other discharge from the nipple (not related
to nursing).
Any of the above could be caused by something other
than cancer, but it’s best to let your doctor check it out.
5
WHEN BREAST CANCER IS FOUND
How breast
cancer is treated can depend on a number of things like
8
things
to know
about
breast
cancer
its size and whether it has invaded nearby tissues or
spread to other parts of the body. Tis evaluation process
is called staging.
Your doctor may take a sample of cells to fnd out if
the cancer is positive for estrogen receptors, progesterone
receptors or HER2.
Treatment can include surgery, radiation, chemo-
therapy or a targeted medication. Sometimes one type
of treatment is followed by another.
For example, HER2-positive breast cancer can be
treated with a drug called Herceptin. Herceptin blocks the
receptors from binding to the protein needed for growth.
Te medication tamoxifen does the same for ER-
positive breast cancer.
6
OPTIONS FOR SURGERY
Forty years ago, breast
cancer meant removal of one or both breasts—a radical
mastectomy.
The four th
annual Brake
for Breakfast
event will be held Friday, Oct. 7, from
6:30 to 8:30 a.m., at the Foster J. Boyd,
MD, Regional Cancer Center. The drive-
through event encourages women to
take a few minutes out of their busy
morning routine to pause and consider
their risk for breast cancer. In addition
to a free to-go breakfast, women will
receive breast cancer information and
will be encouraged to schedule an
annual mammogram.
Brake for
Breakfast
on Oct. 7
F A L L 2 0 1 1
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C M H H E A L T H S C E N E