Breast Cancer Symptoms and Treatment
Cancer results from systemic changes called mutations that occur in genes that are responsible for regulating cell growth. The mutations allow the cells to divide and multiply without control that is the leverage cancer has, and this makes it lethal.
Breast cancer is one that develops in the breast cells. They are usually formed in the lobules of the breast or the breast ducts. The lobules are glands in the breast which produce milk while the ducts are the pathways that carry the milk from the gland to the nipple of the breast. Also, cancer can also occur in the fatty tissue or connective tissues within the breast.
The cancer cells can grow and invade other parts of the breast tissue and can move to the lymph nodes under the arms.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
In the early stages of breast cancer, there may not be any visible symptoms. In most cases, the tumor may be tiny and would not be visible or even felt but this can be spotted using a mammogram. However, as the disease advances, the first sign is usually a lump in the breast. This does not mean that all lumps are cancer.
As the cancer keeps advancing, various other symptoms begin to manifest. Different types of breast cancer have different symptoms, but most of these symptoms are similar to each other.
The common of breast cancer symptoms are:
- A breast lump or thickening different from the tissues that surround it.
- Breast pain
- Part or all of the breast is swollen
- A discharge in the nipple which is sometimes breast milk and can be other fluids.
- Bloody discharge from the nipple.
- Peeling of the skin of the breast or nipple.
- Change in the shape or size of breast.
- A lump or swelling under the arm.
These are some symptoms of cancer but this does not mean that the presence of these symptoms means you have cancer.
You should visit your doctor for a medical examination. Sometimes even a dermatologist in Malaysia can help to examine the lumps.
Treatment
There are many treatment options available for breast cancer and this depends on the type and stage of breast cancer. The treatment options include:
Surgery
There are different types of breast surgery that can be used to remove breast cancer. They are:
- Lumpectomy: This is the removal of the tumor without touching the other tissues in the breast.
- Mastectomy: In this process, the doctor removes the entire breast.
- Axillary lymph node dissection: This is the removal of lymph nodes that contain cancer cells.
- Sentinel node biopsy: This is the removal of the lymph nodes that receive drainage from the cancerous lump.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is the next treatment option. Here beams of radiations are used to kill off cancer cells.
Although it is done in the hospital in Malaysia, it is usually handled by a radiologist in partnership with a dermatologist in Malaysia.
Radiation is mostly done from the outside of the body but advances in science has made it possible for cells to be irradiated from within.
Chemotherapy
This is the use of drug therapy to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be done alone but it is usually done along with other treatments.
Usually chemotherapy is combined with surgery to get the desired outcome. Chemotherapy is used to shrink the lump before it is finally removed with surgery.
Hormone Therapy
Depending on the type of breast cancer, hormone therapy can be used. Some cancer types are hormone-sensitive, so the doctor can start hormonal therapy.
This therapy works by blocking the production of female hormones like estrogen and progesterone. This goes a long way to slow down or stop the growth of cancer.
Medications
There are certain drugs that are used to deal with certain abnormalities or gene mutations that occur within the cells. These drugs like Trastuzumab helps to stop the production of HER2 protein.
This is the protein that helps breast cancer cells to keep growing. So these medications help to slow down the pace of the proliferation of breast cancer cells.
Breast cancer can be dangerous, but if detected on time, there are more chances of treatment.
It is imperative you are self-aware, check your breasts regularly and go to the hospital to report abnormalities. It will go a long way to help you.
If you need professional advice, feel free to make an appointment with our specialists.