Cancer: Breast Cancer

Written by: Caroline Kim

October 12, 2024

Today, we’ll dive into a new series that encompasses cancer, its symptoms, treatments, and more. This week, we’ll focus specifically on breast cancer: the second most common cancer among women, second leading cause of death in women in the U.S. (CDC). The World Health Organization defines breast cancer as “ a disease in which abnormal breast cells grow out of control and form tumors. If left unchecked, the tumors can spread throughout the body and become fatal”. According to Shockney, as many as 1 in 8 (13%) women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and there are currently over 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. To put this into perspective, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. and approximately 42,250 women in the U.S. are expected to die from breast cancer in 2024 (Shockney). Even on a larger scale, “Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in 157 countries out of 185 in 2022… Approximately 0.5–1% of breast cancers occur in men” (World Health Organization). 

There are several different types of breast cancer: invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), lobular breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), inflammatory breast cancer, and paget’s disease of the breast (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). According to Cleveland Clinic, IDC is the most common type of breast cancer in the U.S., where the cancer develops in the milk ducts and spreads to nearby breast tissue. The second most common breast cancer is lobular breast cancer, where the cancer begins in the lobules and spreads to the nearby tissue (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). Cleveland Clinic states that TNBC is less common must much more invasive and aggressive than the other types of breast cancer. 

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include a lump in the breast (often not painful), change in the shape/appearance of the breast, dimpling/redness/change in the skin, and abnormal or bloody fluid from the nipple (World Health Organization). Other symptoms stated by Mayo Clinic include a flattened nipple and a peeling/scaling of the skin. Potential causes and risk factors for breast cancer could include family history, genetics, age, sex, smoking, exposure to radiation, lifestyle, and environmental factors (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). 

Diagnosis of Breast Cancer can involve physical examinations, mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, a biopsy, and genetic tests (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). Treatments could include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, medications, and targeted therapy (World Health Organization). Unfortunately, some of these treatment options can have serious side effects such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal issues (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). These various surgeries could mean a mastectomy, lumpectomy, and breast reconstruction surgery (World Health Organization). Complications from these surgeries could entail infections at the surgical site, blood clots, nerve damage, and lymphedema (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). 

Survival rates for cancer are dependent on several factors such as the invasiveness of the cancer, the stage, and the type; 5-year survival rates are much higher in individuals whose cancer is local (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). While there is not anything significant one can do to prevent breast cancer, some good rules to follow include maintaining a healthy weight/lifestyle, scheduling frequent breast cancer screenings, conducting self exams, and opting for a genetic screening (Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional). 

Sources:

1. CDC. “Breast Cancer Statistics.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Sept. 2024, www.cdc.gov/breast-cancer/statistics/index.html. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024. 

2. Shockney, Lillie D. “Breast Cancer Facts & Stats 2024 - Incidence, Age, Survival, & More.” National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 Aug. 2024, www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-facts/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024. 

3. World Health Organization. “Breast Cancer.” World Health Organization, 13 Mar. 2024, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/breast-cancer. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024. 

4. Mayo Clinic Staff. “Breast Cancer.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 10 Feb. 2024, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352470. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024. 

5. Cleveland Clinic Medical Professional. “Breast Cancer.” Cleveland Clinic, 9 Sept. 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/3986-breast-cancer. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.