About the Disease

Breast Cancer 

Breast cancer treatment in Lucknow, India 

Disease Overview 

What is breast cancer?

Anyone can get breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most often diagnosed malignancies in women in India, impacting one out of every eight women over her lifetime. Women who are not physically active are more likely to acquire breast cancer. Obesity or overweight following menopause. Male breast cancer is rare. Cancer develops when healthy cells in the breast mutate and expand out of control, resulting in a mass or sheet of cells known as a tumor. A tumor can be either cancerous or noncancerous (also known as benign). A cancerous tumor is malignant, which means it can develop and spread throughout the body. A benign tumor signifies that it can develop but hasn't spread.

Breast cancer most usually spreads to nearby lymph nodes, in which case it is still classified as a local or regional disease, but it can also spread throughout the body via blood vessels and/or lymph nodes to places such as the bones, lungs, liver, and brain. Metastatic breast cancer, often known as stage IV, is the most advanced stage of the disease. However, the involvement of adjacent lymph nodes alone does not typically indicate stage IV breast cancer. If breast cancer returns after initial therapy, it may relapse locally, which is in the same breast and/or regional lymph nodes. It can also reappear elsewhere in the body, which is known as a distant or metastatic recurrence.

Types of breast cancer 

Breast cancer may be invasive or non-invasive. Invasive breast cancer is cancer that has spread to nearby tissues and/or distant organs. Non-invasive breast cancer is limited to the milk ducts and lobules of the breast. Invasive breast cancer accounts for around 80% of all cases, while non-invasive cancer accounts for roughly 20%.

• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This is a non-invasive cancer (stage 0) that is only found in the duct and has not gone beyond it.

 

• Invasive or infiltrating ductal carcinoma. This is cancer that has spread outside the ducts. This is the most frequent kind of invasive breast cancer.

• Invasive lobular carcinoma. This is a kind of breast cancer that has spread beyond the lobules.

The less prevalent kinds of invasive breast cancer are:

• Medullary

• Mucinous

• Tubular

• Metaplastic

• Papillary

• Micropapillary

• Apocrine

Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive kind of cancer that makes up 1% to 5% of all invasive breast cancers.

Breast cancer subtypes

Breast cancer is classified into three primary subtypes based on the results of particular tests performed on a tumor sample. These tests will help your doctor understand more about your cancer and prescribe the best treatment option.

• Hormone receptor positive: Breast tumors that express estrogen receptors (ER) and/or progesterone receptors (PR) are known as "hormone receptor-positive." These receptors are proteins found within cells. Tumors that include estrogen receptors are referred to as "ER positive." Tumors that contain progesterone receptors are referred to as "PR positive." Only one of these receptors must be positive for a malignancy to be labeled hormone receptor-positive. This form of cancer may require the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone to grow. Hormone receptor-positive malignancies can develop at any age, but they are more common after menopause. Approximately two-thirds of breast tumors include estrogen and/or progesterone receptors. Cancers lacking these receptors are known as "hormone receptor-negative." Hormone receptor-positive breast cancers are often treated with hormone treatment.

• HER2 positive: The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene is responsible for the growth of approximately 15% to 20% of breast tumors. These tumors are referred to as "HER2 positive" because they contain multiple copies of the HER2 gene or high amounts of the HER2 protein. These proteins are also known as "receptors." The HER2 gene encodes the HER2 protein, which is present in cancer cells and is essential for tumor cell development. Breast tumors that are HER2-positive grow more quickly. They might be hormone receptor-positive or negative. HER2-targeted treatments are routinely used to treat early-stage breast cancer that is HER2-positive.

• Triple-negative: If a tumor does not express ER, PR, or HER2, it is referred to as "triple negative." Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for around 10% to 20% of invasive breast cancers. Triple-negative breast cancer appears to be more common in younger women, especially Black and Hispanic women. Women with BRCA1 gene mutations are likewise more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer. Experts frequently urge that people with triple-negative breast cancer get tested for BRCA gene abnormalities.

Breast Cancer: Symptoms and Signs

Many women with breast cancer do not exhibit any physical changes or symptoms when they are first diagnosed. Symptoms are physical changes you can feel in your body. Signs are changes in something that can be monitored, such as blood pressure or lab tests. Symptoms and signs can be used to characterize a medical situation. A symptom or indication can often be caused by a medical disease other than cancer. However, some women experience symptoms or indicators when they are first diagnosed with breast cancer. If a person experiences one or more of the following symptoms or indicators, they should consult with a doctor.

• A dense knot-like lump in the breast or under the arm. It is critical to feel the same spot in the opposite breast to ensure that the change is not caused by healthy breast tissue in that location.

• Breast changes in size or form

• Nipple discharge that comes quickly in a non-lactating person, is bloody, or occurs in only one breast

• Physical modifications, such as a nipple curved inward or a sore placed in the nipple area

• Skin irritation or changes, such as puckering, dimpling, scaliness, or new creases, are seen 

• "Peau d'orange" is a heated, red, swollen breast with or without a rash and dimpling resembling the skin of an orange.

• Pain in the breasts, particularly persistent pain. Pain is not a typical symptom of breast cancer, but it should be reported to a doctor.

 

Frequently Asked Questions