Breast Cancer Types

Breast cancer type is categorized by whether it begins in the ducts or lobules, the organs responsible for breast milk production. Medullary carcinoma accounts for 15% of all breast cancer types. This breast cancer type represents 5% of all diagnosis. IPR015525 Breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein Header EBIDatabasesInterPro Search Open in usermanual InterPro: ” /> Jump to: InterProScan Databases Documentation FTP site Help Click on the icon for context sensitive help from the user manual. The breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein (BRCA2) is a breast tumour suppressor with a potential function in the cellular response to DNA damage. Some breast cancer types express one or more of these proteins on their cell surface, while others express none. Media Relations Contacts Online Press Kit Rumors, Myths, and Truths Glossary About the American Cancer Society Breastfeeding, Other Factors May Affect Risk of Breast Cancer TypeAtlanta 2008/08/25 -Factors such as age at menopause as well as a woman?s breastfeeding practices can influence her risk of developing certain types of breast cancer.

The investigators found that reproductive risk factors varied considerably by breast cancer subtype. Their analysis included 1,023 women with breast cancer whose cells express the estrogen and progesterone receptors (called luminal cancers), 39 women with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, and 78 triple-negative cases (no expression of estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 receptors). The study also included 1,476 women without breast cancer. ? They added that additional studies on the causes of breast cancer subtypes are needed to better understand the biology of the disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information. The study?s results suggest that there are distinct and separate hormonal risk factors associated with different subtypes of breast cancer. Women with what is referred to as “triple-negative” breast cancer are more likely than other women with breast cancer to experience a relapse, a new study by Canadian researchers shows. Despite having a high risk of early recurrence, the study indicates that triple-negative breast cancer patients who remain disease-free for eight years are unlikely to die of breast cancer and may be “cured” of their disease.

Breast Feeding Will Lowers Risk Of Breast Cancer

Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was associated with a lower risk of luminal cancer as well as triple-negative cancer, a type that can be particularly aggressive and difficult to treat. Understanding the specific type of breast cancer can help you ask better questions and work with your physicians to get the best breast cancer treatments. For more information on the types and stages of breast cancer, watch Beyond the Shock®. Medullary carcinoma accounts for 15% of all breast cancer types. Infiltrating lobular carcinoma is a type of breast cancer that usually appears as a subtle thickening in the upper-outer quadrant of the breast. Making up about 2% of all breast cancer diagnosis, tubular carcinoma cells have a distinctive tubular structure when viewed under a microscope. Typically this type of breast cancer is found in women aged 50 and above. Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and very aggressive type of breast cancer that causes the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast to become blocked.

Breast Cancer Risk

The study’s results suggest that there are distinct and separate hormonal risk factors associated with different subtypes of breast cancer. Amanda Phipps, a predoctoral research associate at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and her colleagues conducted a study to better understand the specific risk factors for the subtypes of breast cancer, which are classified by expression of the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor, and the HER2 receptor. The investigators found that reproductive risk factors varied considerably by breast cancer subtype. Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was associated with a lower risk of luminal cancer as well as triple-negative cancer, a type that can be particularly aggressive and difficult to treat. Both late age at menopause and use of estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy were associated with an increased risk of luminal disease. Finally, no differences in risks associated with number of children or the age when a woman first gave birth were observed by subtype. The study authors concluded that their results indicate that “certain reproductive factors may have a greater impact on risk of certain molecular subtypes of disease compared to others. Despite having a high risk of early recurrence, the study indicates that triple-negative breast cancer patients who remain disease-free for eight years are unlikely to die of breast cancer and may be “cured” of their disease. Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and changes in the signaling of growth hormones and steroid hormones associated with diabetes may affect the risk of breast cancer. Despite many proposed potential pathways, the mechanisms underlying an association between diabetes and breast cancer risk remain unclear, particularly because the 2 diseases share several risk factors, including obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and possibly intake of saturated fat and refined carbohydrates, that may confound this association. Although the metabolic syndrome is closely related to diabetes and embraces additional components that might influence breast cancer risk, the role of the metabolic syndrome in breast carcinogenesis has not been studied and thus remains unknown.

Breast Cancer Facts

The breast cancer signs and symptoms can be widely different for every woman. Some experience lumps, some experience skin changes that appear quite drastic and other women get no definite signs of breast cancer.

Some women experience similar signs and symptoms of breast cancer when it may just be a simple infection or maybe a cyst. All women of all ages – from teens upwards – should check their breasts for unusual lumps and bumps. If you think you find a lump or your breasts feel and look different, it is best to get an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible.

The prognosis of a diagnosis for breast cancer can sometimes take many weeks and can include many different types of testing to undergo. This can be extremely frustrating and quite an upsetting time in any woman’s life. The up side of it is that once the prognosis has been made, you can start looking at the bigger picture. You can sit down with your doctors and formulate some kind of plan for treatment which will be specifically tailored just for you.

There are a few myths surrounding breast cancer and the breast cancer facts. Let’s look at some of the myths that you may or may not have heard before.

Some people believe that breast cancer only becomes a risk when you are older. This in some ways is true. However, younger women do get breast cancer as well.

Some people also believe that if breast cancer doesn’t run in the family they won’t actually get breast cancer. This isn’t true at all. It is thought that nearly 80 percent of women who have had breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

It was reported years ago that antiperspirants can put women at risk of developing breast cancer. This is unfounded and has never been proved that a link between using antiperspirants and breast cancer even exists. It has also been reported that using birth control pills can contribute to a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. There are many studies done over time that show no founded link between the two. One of the studies combined all the information received from all of the other studies and found a very slight increase. This increase was over time, but was not significant enough actually prove the link.

There has also been a lot of press about the association of high fat foods and the risk of breast cancer. While eating high fat foods isn’t good for health, there is no definitive research that the link between eating fatty foods and breast cancer actually exists. This could be a misinterpretation of the link between obesity and breast cancer which does actually exist and has been proven many times. If you make a lifestyle choice and eat lots of high fat foods, you will eventually become overweight and possibly obese. This will then in turn, increase your risk of developing breast cancer at a later date.

Breast Cancer Treatment, Learn All About It! By Nguang Nguek-fluek

Women who have received a diagnosis for breast cancer usually follow some sort of treatment to cure it or at least keep it under control. The best breast cancer treatment option depends on several factors, such as the location and size of the tumor, the stage of the disease and the results of laboratory tests.

Most breast cancer treatment options include a surgery as well. The common types of surgery are lumpectomy and mastectomy. Some women follow an additional treatment as well, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and medication, in order to stop the cancer from growing and spreading.

Lumpectomy

Lumpectomy means removing the tumor in the breast through surgery. Many women prefer this breast cancer treatment because it allows them to keep most of their breast. Lumpectomy is usually performed on Stage 0, Stage I or Stage II cancers and rarely on Stage III breast cancer. When combined with a six-week radiation therapy, it is referred to as “breast-conserving therapy”.

Mastectomy

Mastectomy is the removal of the whole breast through surgery and often some or all of the axillary lymph nodes as well. It is performed in Stage 0, I, II or III breast cancers and rarely on Stage IV breast cancer. Although this breast cancer treatment involves the removal of the entire breast, further reconstruction is generally possible.

Lymph Node Removal

This surgical procedure involves removing some or all of the underarm lymph nodes. It is usually performed on patients who have undergone a mastectomy to check whether the cancer has spread outside the breast or not. Sentinel node biopsy is a newer procedure which allows the removal of only the sentinel lymph node to evaluate cancer spread. A potential side effect of this breast cancer treatment is lymphedema (the chronic swelling of the patient’s arm).

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a breast cancer treatment with anticancer drugs, normally administered either orally or intravenously. It can be used alone or in combination with surgical treatments. The drug flows through the blood stream and is aimed to interfere with the DNA of cancer cells.

Radiation

Radiation therapy is a type of breast cancer treatment that uses high-energy rays to end the growing and dividing of cancer cells. It deposits energy in the affected area, damaging the genetic material and stopping the growth of cancer cells. Though it damages normal cells as well, these are usually able to repair themselves after treatment.

Medication Therapy

There is a wide variety of drugs that can be used in breast cancer treatment, either alone or in combination with a surgical procedure. The most common medicine is tamoxifen, which blocks the estrogen in the breast, thus helping slow the growth and dividing of cancer cells. Other medications include Herceptin, Ellence, Taxol, Docetaxel and Aromasin and they are used to treat different forms of breast cancer.

With the fast developing of medical technologies, more and more breast cancers can be treated successfully. However, breast cancer is still a cause of death for a large number of women worldwide. Regular breast examination is essential to ensure you discover any possible disease in time and get a treatment to cure it.