Breast Cancer

Many different things can affect your chances of getting breast cancer. There’s no single cause. It results from a combination of the way we live our lives, our genes and our environment. Breast cancer develops when abnormal cells in your breast divide and multiply. But experts don’t know exactly what causes this process to begin in the first place. However, research indicates that there are several risk factors that may increase your chances of developing breast cancer. These include:

Age: Being 55 or older increases your risk for breast cancer.

Sex: Woman are much more likely to develop breast cancer than men.

Family history and genetics: If you have parents, siblings, children or other close relatives who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, you’re more likely to develop the disease at some point in your life. About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are due to single abnormal genes that are passed down from parents to children, and that can be discovered by genetic testing.

Radiation Exposure: Your risk of acquiring breast cancer is higher if you had chest radiation treatments as a child or young adult.

Obesity: Having more fat tissue can raise your risk of developing breast cancer. Also, women who are overweight typically have higher insulin levels.

Early menstruation and late menopause: There is a slightly increased risk of breast cancer if menstruation started before the ages of 11 or 12 or if menopause started beyond age 55. This occurs as a result of the breast cells' prolonged exposure to estrogen and progesterone.

Never been pregnant: Breast cells take longer to fully mature and because they are exposed to higher estrogen levels.

Reproductive history: Breast cancer risk can increase if a woman becomes pregnant for the first time after the age of 30, chooses not to breastfeed, or never carries a child to term.

Drinking alcoholic drinks: Estrogen, a hormone crucial to the growth and development of breast tissue, can be increased by alcohol.

According to research, the chance of developing breast cancer may also be increased by other variables like smoking, exposure to carcinogens, and changes in other hormones brought on by working the night shift.

Genes control how our cells function. They are made up of a chemical called DNA, which comes from both our parents. DNA affects more than just how we look; it also can influence our risk for developing certain diseases, including some kinds of cancer.

Normal cells also have genes called tumor suppressor genes,which help control how often normal cells divide in two, repair DNA mistakes, or cause cells to die at the right time. If a cell has a mutated tumor suppressor gene, then the cell can turn into cancer.

Cancers can be caused by gene changes that turn on oncogenes or turn off tumor suppressor genes. Changes in many different genes are usually needed to cause breast cancer.

Inherited gene changes

Some gene changes (mutations) are inherited or passed to you from your parents. This means the mutations are in all your cells when you are born. Certain inherited gene changes can greatly increase the risk for developing certain cancers and are linked to many of the cancers that run in some families. For instance, the BRCA genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) are tumor suppressor genes. When one of these genes changes, it no longer suppresses abnormal cell growth, and cancer is more likely to develop. A change in one of these genes can be passed from a parent to a child.

Acquired gene changes

Most gene mutations linked to breast cancer are acquired. This means the change takes place in breast cells during a person's life rather than having been inherited or born with them. Acquired DNA mutations take place over time and are only in the breast cancer cells. These acquired mutations of oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes may result from other factors, like radiation or cancer-causing chemicals. But some gene changes may just be random events that sometimes happen inside a cell, without having an outside cause. So far, the causes of most acquired mutations that could lead to breast cancer are still unknown. Most breast cancers have several acquired gene mutations.

There are several different treatments available for breast cancer, and the best course of action depends on the stage and type of cancer, as well as the individual's health and personal preferences. Here are some of the most common treatment options:

1. Surgery: Surgery is often the first line of treatment for breast cancer. There are several types of surgeries available, including

• Lumpectomy: removal of the tumor and some surrounding tissue.

• Mastectomy: removal of the entire breast.

• Lymph node removal: if cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes.

2. Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. It is often used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence.

3. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. It is often used in addition to surgery and/or radiation therapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence. Chemotherapy can be given intravenously or orally.

4. Hormone therapy: Hormone therapy is used to treat breast cancers that are hormone receptor positive. These cancers rely on hormones to grow, so hormone therapy works by blocking the hormones or reducing their production. This can be achieved through medication, surgery (ovary removal), or radiation therapy.

5. Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy is a newer type of treatment that specifically targets cancer cells, leaving healthy cells untouched. This type of therapy is often used for HER2-positive breast cancers, which have a protein called HER2 on the surface of the cancer cells. The targeted therapy drugs bind to the HER2 protein, blocking its signals that promote cancer cell growth.

6. Early Screening and Self-examination: Last and definitely not the least is Early Screening and Self-examination. We believe that early detection and prevention is better than any cure that is why we added early screening and self-examination as one of the management. First is Early Screening, Breast cancer screening entails examining a woman's breasts for cancer before any symptoms or signs of the disease become apparent. The appropriate screening choices for each woman should be explained to them by their doctor. The systemic administration of a screening test in a population thought to be asymptomatic is known as screening. It seeks to locate those who exhibit a cancer-suggestive anomaly. Breast cancer screening can help discover breast cancer early, when it is simpler to treat, even though it cannot prevent breast cancer.

Next is Breast Self-examination of BSE, A woman can use a breast self-exam technique to check her breasts for any changes (such lumps or thickenings) that could indicate breast cancer. Women frequently learn of breast issues for the first time by accident. Instead of being used as a screening tool, BSE is advised for increasing awareness among at-risk women.

It's important to note that the most effective treatment plan for an individual with breast cancer will depend on a variety of factors. These include the stage and grade of the cancer, the age and overall health of the patient, as well as their personal preferences and goals for treatment. Treatment plans will be tailored to the individual and may involve a combination of the above options, as well as supportive care to manage symptoms and improve quality of life.