Breast Cancer (Research Paper Sample)

Risk Factors, Staging, and Treatment of Breast Cancer
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Risk Factors, Staging, and Treatment of Breast Cancer
Introduction
Breast cancer is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths among women across the world. However, the survival rate for women suffering from cancer has significantly improved as a consequence of surgery, early screening, and adjuvant therapies. It includes the utilization of third-generation aromatase inhibitors, selective estrogen receptor modulators, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and monoclonal antibody (National Cancer Institute, 2013). Regardless, breast cancer survivors are vulnerable to fractures after adjuvant therapies because thorough investigation on these therapies is yet to be realized (National Cancer Institute, 2013). The rate of fracture is common among young breast cancer survivors who are undergoing radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and receiving monoclonal antibodies. Breast cancer is common among young women because of poor prognosis. Thus, the paper aims to provide a detailed analysis of the risk factors, staging, and treatment of Breast cancer.
Overview of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer exhibits a wide range of symptoms. However, the most noticeable sign is an area or lump of thickened breast tissue. It is significant to comprehend that each breast lump is not cancerous, but it is recommendable to have them checked by a doctor. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to seek the help of a general practitioner if they have the following signs and symptoms: a change in the shape or size of the breasts, discharge leaking from the nipples, dimpling of the breasts skin, a swelling or a lump in the breast, a rash on or around the nipple, and a change in the nipple appearance (Hopko et al., 2015). Any of these signs requires an individual to undergo various tests including a biopsy or mammography.
Types of Breast Cancer
There exist two chief kinds of breast cancer: invasive and non-invasive type. The latter is also referred to as carcinoma or cancer in situ and is prevalent in the ducts. Non-invasive type of breast cancer never manifests itself as a lump that can be felt on an individual breast and can be detected by a mammogram test (Hopko et al., 2015). The common type of this cancer is the ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). On the other hand, non-invasive type of cancer exhibits the ability to spread to other parts of the body from the breast. However, if detected early, it cannot spread to other parts of the body. The most prevalent type of invasive breast cancer is the invasive ductal breast cancer (Carpenter et al., 2014). This type of cancer emerges from the cells that surround the breast ducts, and it handles 80% of all cases of breast cancer reported. Apart from these two types of cancer, other types of cancer include invasive lobular breast cancer, the Paget’s disease of the breast, and the inflammatory breast cancer.
Screening for Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is diagnosed in approximately one eight of women across the world. If detected early, women exhibit a good opportunity to recover from the disease. It is, therefore, imperative for women to regularly check their breasts to detect any changes (Carpenter et al., 2014). Likewise, they should get examined for any changes by their general practitioner. The best method for screening is mammographic screening that detects breast lesion. In some instances, the mammogram fails in detecting some breast cancers. Nevertheless, mammographic screening increases an individual chance of being subjected to extra interventions and tests as well as surgery. Since the danger of acquiring breast cancer escalates with an individual age, women aged between 50-70years are encouraged to undergo breast cancer screening after every three years. Likewise, those over 70years encouraged to go for screening (Hopko et al., 2015).
Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
Risk factors encompass the things that affect an individual’s chances of acquiring various diseases, such as cancer. Various cancers have diverse risk factors (Sauter & Daly, 2010). For instance, when a person exposes the skin to strong sunlight it becomes a skin cancer risk factor. Similarly, smoking is a danger factor for cancers of the kidney, bladder, larynx, mouth, lungs and other organs (Sauter & Daly, 2010). However, having several or one risk factor does not imply that a person will get cancer because a risk factor does not reveal everything. Most ladies who possess one or more breast cancer danger factors do not develop the disease, whereas many ladies with breast cancer do not have seeming risk factors (other than growing older and being a woman). Moreover, various risk factors, such as an individual’s race or age, can’t be changed. Additionally, other risks are connected to cancer-causing factors found in the environment. Equally, other cancer risk factors are associated with personal behaviors, for example, diet, drinking, and smoking. Furthermore, certain factors influence cancer risk more than others, and an individual’s breast cancer risk can differ over time as a result of issues such as lifestyle or aging (Sauter & Daly, 2010).
Gender
Simply being a lady is the utmost risk factor for acquiring breast cancer. There exist nearly 190,000 different cases of bellicose breast cancer as well as 60,000 cases of non-bellicose breast cancer for the last two years in American women (Giuggio, 2010). Moreover, men also develop cancer of the breast but they comprise less than 1% of every new case of breast cancer. The development of a woman’s breast takes three to four years and is always complete by the age of 14 (Giuggio, 2010). It is unusual for the breasts of men to fully form because a majority of the man breasts comprise of fat not formed glands. Moreover, when a woman’s breast is fully formed, breast cells are highly active and very immature until when she has first full-term gravidity (Sauter & Daly, 2010). Equally, when a woman’s breasts are immature, their cells are highly responsive to estrogen as well as other hormones, plus hormone disrupters found in the environment. However, breast cells of men are inactive, and many men possess very low echelons of estrogen (Sauter & Daly, 2010). As such, hormonal stimulation of extremely vulnerable and responsive breast cells in ladies, principally during the sensitive period of breast growth is the reason breast cancer rate is high in women than in men.
Age
As individuals grow older, the risk of acquiring many diseases including breast cancer goes higher. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), nearly one out of eight bellicose breast cancers grow in ladies below the age of 45 (Giuggio, 2010). Similarly, nearly two out of three aggressive cancers of the breast are discovered in women above the age of 55. It is evident that the process of aging is the leading risk factor for breast cancer (Giuggio, 2010). For example, the longer an individual lives, the higher the chances for more mutations or genetic damage in the body. Similarly, as people age, their bodies become less capable of mending the genetic damage.
Genetics
Approximately 5% to 10% cases of breast cancer are found to be hereditary because they stem directly from mutations or gene defects congenital from a parent (Sauter & Daly, 2010). Genes can be defined as particles found in cells, confined in chromosomes, and comprise of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Equally, the DNA consists of the instructions for making proteins. Hence, the proteins control the function and structure of every cell that make up an individual’s body. Moreover, genes act as an instruction guide for cell function and growth. Thus, any anomalies in the DNA are similar to typographical errors (Sauter & Daly, 2010). They can provide an erroneous set of instructions, causing faulty cell function or growth. Moreover, if a gene error exists in an individual, that same error will appear in every cell that has the same gene (Sauter & Daly, 2010). The explanation above is comparable to an individual possessing an instruction manual that has copies with a similar typographical error.
BRCA2 and BRCA1 Genes
The primary cause of inherited breast cancer is a hereditary mutation found in the BRCA2 and BRCA1 genes. In usual cells, BRCA2 and BRCA1 genes assist in preventing cancer by creating proteins that save the cells from developing abnormally (Giuggio, 2010). If a person inherits a mutated copy of whichever gene from a parent, there is a high danger of developing breast cancer in the person’s lifetime. However, in several families that have BRCA1 mutations, their breast cancer lifetime risk is at 80% while the families with BRCA2 mutations the danger is lower, nearly 45% (Giuggio, 2010). Furthermore, breast cancer associated with BRCA2 and BRCA1 mutations frequently occur in younger ladies and regularly affect both breasts. Equally, women who have inherited BRCA2 and BRCA1 mutations have a high risk of developing new cancers, especially ovarian cancer (Giuggio, 2010).
Changes or mutations in other genes can lead to hereditary breast cancers. These gene changes are more sporadic, and frequently they do not increase the danger of breast cancer like the BRCA genes (Morrow & Jordan, 2003). As such, gene mutations are not frequent reasons for hereditary breast cancer. Moreover, there are various examples of genes, for instance, the ATM gene that usually assist in repairing damaged DNA. When an individual inherits two abnormal replicas of ATM gene, it causes ataxia-telangiectasia disease (Morrow & Jordan, 2003). Equally, when a person inherits one mutated replica of ATM gene, there are high chances of getting breast cancer. Furthermore, there is the TP53 gene that provides instructions for cr...