Breast Cancer - Types, Symptoms, Causes, Stages & Treatment

in Oncology

Nov 8, 2024

Breast cancer is one of the most life-altering cancers in the world. A lot of women globally gets impact with breast cancer. Contrary to popular belief, a lot of men too suffer from breast cancer but majorly it has been reported amongst women. Early detection of breast cancer can determine the ease of treatment and necessary medical intervention by oncologists. It is rather important to understand the intricacies of breast cancer so that timely intervention could happen and lives could be saved. This this blog we will shed a light on breast cancer, types, its symptoms, causes, stages and the kind of treatment one could seek.

How many types of breast cancers are there?

Typically speaking, breast cancer can be categories into few categories depending on its genesis and whether it has spread to other tissues:

Ductal Carcinoma in Situ: This kind of cancer is no-invasive and it begins in the ducts of the breast and is localised. Which means it doesn’t necessarily has spread to other tissues. It is usually detected via mammograms and has a really high cure rate if and when it is detected early.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: This type of breast cancer is most common as it begins in milk ducts and gradually invades the nearby tissues. This is why immediate intervention is required as it gradually spreads and eventually becomes more lethal.

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: This type of cancer begins in the glands called lobules which is responsible to producing milk. It also spreads to surrounding breast tissue. Despite being less common, it still can metastasize into other key areas.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Triple Negative Breast Cancer is often referred to as the most aggressive type of cancer owing to its inability to function with hormone therapy as it lacks hormones like estrogen, progesterone along with HER2 receptors.

HER-2 Positive Breast Cancer

This type of cancer happens when HER-2 protein overexpressed itself and further promotes the growth of cancer cells:

Metastatic Breast Cancer: This type of cancer is extremely lethal which is why it is categorised into stage 4 cancer as it spreads to other organs such as brain, lungs, liver and bones.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer: This type of breast cancer spreads quickly and it is also a really aggressive form of cancer as it leads to swollen, red and warm breast. It is also considered to spread more quickly than other types of cancer.

What are the Symptoms of Cancer?

Although the symptoms of cancer are plenty but there are symptoms that are common across breast cancer such as:

Changes in Breast Shape and Size: Any type of changes in shape, contour, or size should be investigated or screened at the earliest for breast cancer screening.

Nipple Discharge: Any type of discharge that resembles blood or clear milk like substance raises concerns and should be checked by a cancer specialist.

Inverted Nipple: Another warning sign could be inverted nipple. Thus, should be taken seriously.

Swelling or Pain: Any kind of swelling or pain that persists calls for a screening of breast cancer.

Changes in Skin: While skin texture may change for variety of reason but dimpling, redness, thickening or puckering is a sign that should not be taken very lightly and calls for an immediate screening for breast cancer.

Causes of Breast Cancer

The key reason for breast cancer is the uncontrolled division of cells in the human body. While the exact cause of this disease isn’t quite clear but there are several risk factors that influence the development of the breast cancer. For example:

Gender: Women instead of men are more susceptible to develop cancer.

Age: Women who are past 50 are more likely to be impacted by cancer.

Genetic Factor: BRCA1 and BRCA2 are some kinds of genetic mutations that can impact and influence breast cancer to develop.

Family History: If there is a family history of breast cancer then individuals are more prone to develop breast cancer.

While the aforementioned factors are non-modifiable, there are modifiable risks that can influence the development of breast cancer such as:

Radiation Exposure: Exposure to radiation around the chest area increases the risk of breast cancer.

Obesity: Women with a higher Body Mass Index, especially at postmenopausal stage, are prone to develop the risk of breast cancer.

Lifestyle Choices: Uncontrollable alcohol consumption, excessive smoking, lack of exercise and incomplete nutrition can influence the development of breast cancer.

HRT ( Hormone Replacement Therapy): Prolonged usage of hormones via hormone replacement therapy can make individuals susceptible to developing breast cancer.

Stages of Breast Cancer

The stage of breast cancer depends upon the size of the tumour. Whether it has spread to lymph nodes or to the other parts of the body. But typically, there are 4 stages to breast cancer:

Stage 0: Also referred to as in situ or non-invasive wherein the cancer cells are contained within breast ducts and have not spread.

Stage 1: A small-sized tumour that does not spread beyond the breast.

Stage 2: The kind of cancer that spreads to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 3: This type of cancer hasn’t spread to organs but is advanced enough to impact lymph nodes.

Stage 4: This is the last stage of the cancer which has spread to different organs such as liver, bone, brain and lungs.

Treatment of Breast Cancer

Not all breast cancers are preventable, but some steps can be taken to mitigate the risk and improve the conditions in early detection, such as:

Surgery: This surgical process is employed to remove the cells that are cancerous, in this surgical intervention sometimes one or both breasts are removed.

Radiation Therapy: High energy rays are employed to destroy cancer cells.

Chemotherapy : Usage of drug to shrink the cancer cells.

Hormone Therapy: This is specific to those cancer which is dependent on hormones like estragon and progesterone.

Targeted Therapy : Targeted therapy drugs specifically attack certain characteristics of cancer cells, like the HER2 protein in HER2-positive breast cancers.

Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy works by enhancing the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. It’s primarily used for triple-negative breast cancer and has shown promise in increasing survival rates for certain patients.

If you or your loved ones are looking for best oncologists that are specialized in breast cancer and its treatment, you must consider visiting Paras Health as we have advanced tools, techniques and world-class diagnostic facility to help you assist in detecting cancer early and suggest the best treatment plan.