Breast Cancer By: Erica Lynn Hohensee

1
Breast CancerBy Erica Lynn Hohensee
Sources www.breastcancer.org, www.nci.nih.gov,
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
2
Overview

• Breast cancer is defined as cells which grow
  abnormally within the breast tissue
• It can happen to anyone, but it is the most
  common in women who have reached the age of
  menopause
• Although breast cancer is the 1 cancer found in
  women men can develop it as well
• We do not know what specifically causes breast
  cancer

3
Signs and Symptoms

• The first noticeable sign of breast cancer can
  often take the form of a small lump in the breast
• Besides lumps another possible sign of cancer is
  a swelling of the breast, or the area surrounding
  it
• Dramatic changes in the breast tissue including
  size and discoloration of the nipple region
• Any Lump that appears on a mans breast

4
Breast ExamsEarly Detection

• Breast self-exams can be done to possibly
  determine if there is a lump in the breast
  tissue, if the women notices changes then she
  should contact her doctor
• They should be done once a month at the end of a
  menstrual cycle, and are basically a used to
  document any changes in the breast
• Doctors recommend that women start performing
  these exams in their early 20s

5
Breast Exams-continued

• Clinical breast exams are the same as a self exam
  except that a doctor who is trained in noticing
  abnormalities performs them
• They can be done during a womens normal
  gynecological visit
• Mammograms are the final type of breast exam, in
  which radiological picture is taken of the
  breast. This is the best type of breast exam
  because it can detect abnormal cells before they
  can be seen of felt
• Women who have had breast cancer in their family
  or starting at age 40 should have this procedure
  done every year

6
Risk Factors for developing breast cancer

• Being a female over the age of fifty
• Early onset of the menstrual cycle, or late onset
  of menopause
• Family members with breast cancer
• Not having any children, or having them past your
  twenties
• Heavy drinking
• Having a BMI over 25 once reaching menopause

7
Stages

• Stage 0- abnormal cells have started to form in
  the breast
• Stage 1- a tumor has developed but it is small,
  and has not spread beyond the breast
• Stage 2- Can be any of the following while the
  tumor is small, under 2 centimeters, the abnormal
  cells have spread to the lymph nodes in the arm
  or the tumor is over 5 centimeters, but the
  cancer has not spread to any lymph nodes

8
Stages-continued

• Stage 3- while it has a large tumor the cancer
  has not spread, stage 3 can be broken into three
  parts
• Stage III A the tumor is small but the cancer has
  spread to the armpit region and the lymph nodes
  which surround it, or the tumor is more than 5
  centimeters but the cancer has only spread to the
  armpit lymph nodes and not those surrounding it
• Stage III B the cancer has infected both the
  outer and inner layers of the breast and has
  spread to the lymph nodes under the sternum in
  the middle of the chest
• Stage III C is where the cancer has spread not
  only to the lymph nodes in the sternum but also
  to the neck and arm region, in this case the
  tumor size does not matter
• Stage 4- the cancer has metastasized and spread
  throughout the body

9
Breast Cancer As it spreads
10
Possible Treatments

• Chemotherapy
• Biological therapy -in an effort to stop the
  spread of the cancer and treat the areas where
  the cancer has already spread through monoclonal
  antibodies
• Radiation therapy

11
Possible treatments-continued

• Hormone therapy
• Surgery-in an effort to remove the affected cells
  from the body this can be done in different way
  but two of the most common include a Lumpectomy,
  in which only the affected area is removed or a
  Mastectomy, in which all of the breast tissue is
  removed

12
Breast Cancer Hope for a Cure

• Today over 85 of all women diagnosed with breast
  cancer will be free from cancer for at least five
  years, and the number dramatically increases,
  with early detection
• Even though African American women are not
  diagnosed with breast cancer as much as other
  ethnic groups they are more likely to not survive
  from it
• Last year over 1200 men were told they had breast
  cancer
• Although the Komen foundation has raised over 600
  million dollars for research alone, there is
  still no cure for breast cancer

13
Places to go for help and more information

• American Cancer Society- www.cancer.org
• Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation-
  www.komen.org
• National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship-
  www.canceradvocacy.org
• Reach to Recovery- www.cancer.org
• National Cancer Institute- www.cancer.gov
• Young Survival Coalition- www.youngsurvival.org