Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control. These cells usually form a tumor that can often be seen on an x-ray or felt as a lump. The tumor is malignant (cancer) if the cells can grow into (invade) surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body. Breast cancer occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get breast cancer, too.
Of the many types of cancer in Sri Lanka, Breast Cancer is the most common.
The triggering factors of this cancer are unknown. It could be attributed to a family history, early menarche or other possible risk factors. As it is difficult to determine, all women are at risk, especially when we are aged 40 and above.
While the factors are unknown, it is most treatable with early detection through regular breast checks.
If u get to know how your breasts normally look and feel, you will be more likely to spot any changes that could be signs of breast cancer. This is important even if you have been for breast screening. look for the following.
If you have any change to your breast, you should make an appointment with the Asiri Breast Care Center without delay. You may not have cancer. But if you do, being diagnosed and treated at an early stage may mean that you are more likely to survive breast cancer.
It is important to take care of your breasts so that you can prevent diseases as well as the signs of ageing. Breast care is essential for every woman regardless of how young or old she is.
Exercise and breast self-examination should become a routine part of your health and wellness practice.
Contrary to common belief, exercising will not increase the size of your breasts, but can shape your breasts, keep them firm and improve circulation.
Regular self-examination is very important. Breast cancer is no longer a post-menopause problem. Routine self-checks will warn you before things become serious. If you notice lumps when you are examining yourself, go to a doctor. It could be a tumour. If your breasts or nipples are very tender, you could have an infection.
If you are 40 years old or over a routine breast screening is recommended.
TOUCH
Lay down on a flat surface, resting your head on your hand and use your other hand to check for lumps in either one of the following patterns
Circular
Up and Down
Inwards and Downwards
Do you feel any unusual lumps, thickening or pain either in breasts, armpits or upper chest?
LOOK
Standing in front of a mirror
Inspect both breasts with your arms at your sides
Put both arms on your hips, flex your chest muscles, and compare both breasts while looking out for any noticeable changes or lumps.
Raise both arms slowly, looking carefully for swelling, or noticeable change to breasts or nipples
Observe changes in size and shape, skin texture, colour, appearance and direction of nipples, rashes or crusting of nipple or around, any nipple discharge
CHECK
Anything unusual? Talk to a doctor as soon as possible
Breast screening uses an X-ray scan – a mammogram – to check for signs of cancer. A mammogram can identify cancers that are too small to see or feel.
Screening examinations are tests performed to find disease before symptoms begin. The goal of screening is to detect disease at its earliest and most treatable stage, with the least radical treatment. i.e. without the need for mastectomies and chemotherapy.
Screening does not prevent breast cancer.
Woman's age |
Frequency of screening |
| 40 – 50 years | Annually |
| 50 – 60 years | Every 2 years |
| 60 years and over | Every 3 years |
Statistics indicate that over 90% of symptoms/abnormalities found in patients turn out to be benign/harmless in the long run.
In order to qualify as malignant, an irregularity found through breast screening has to undergo a triple assessment:
CLINICAL
Consultation
IMAGING
Mammogram
Ultra Sound (below age 40)
HISTOLOGY
Microscopic Study of Sample Breast
Tissue
A Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) of doctors at the ABC Centre discuss each case individually and make a decision on the optimal method of treatment. For more information, please see the treatment section below.
The Asiri Breast Care Centre is a unique one of a kind set up with a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) of Specialist Consultants to provide women with effective solutions addressing all breast related issues. These include the management of
ABC is a "one-stop" solution for ALL breast related concerns, handled with sensitivity and in the strictest confidence.
The MDT consists of the following members
Breast Care Centre location - +041 7 501 501
Breast screening uses an X-ray test called a mammogram to check the breast for signs of cancer. It can spot cancers that are too small to see or feel.
If you are called back for more tests, you may have a breast examination, more mammograms and ultrasound scans. You may also have a biopsy, which is when a small sample is taken from your breast with a needle to be checked under a microscope. You will usually get your results within a week.
In about 96 out of every 100 women screened the mammogram will show no sign of cancer- this is a normal result.
Remember that cancer can still develop between mammograms, so tell the Asiri Breast Cancer Center straight away if you notice any breast changes.
What happens to
100 women
each time they have breast screening
96
women have a normal result
4
women need more tests
3 women have no cancer found
1 women is diagnosed with cancer
About 1 in 5 women diagnosed with breast cancer through screening will have non-invasive cancer. This means there are cancer cells in the breast, but they are only found inside the milk ducts (tubes) and have not spread any further. This is also called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). In some women, the cancer cells stay inside the ducts. But in others they will grow into (invade) the surrounding breast in the future.
Doctors can’t tell whether non-invasive breast cancers will grow into the surrounding breast or not invasive breast cancer.
About 4 in 5 women diagnosed with breast cancer through screening will have invasive cancer. This is cancer that has grown out of the milk ducts and into the surrounding breast. Most invasive breast cancers will spread to other parts of the body if left untreated.
It is your choice whether or not you have breast screening. There are many different reasons why women decide whether or not to have screening. To help you decide, we’ve included information on the possible benefits and risks.
Lives are saved because cancers are diagnosed and treated earlier than they would have been without screening. Further, this can open curative treatment options and the possibility of breast conservation.
Some women will be diagnosed and treated for breast cancer that would never otherwise have been found and would not have become life-threatening. This is the main risk of screening.
Doctors cannot always tell whether a breast cancer that is diagnosed will go on to be life-threatening or not, so they offer treatment to all women with breast cancer. This means that some women will be offered treatment that they do not need.
Weighing up the possible benefits and risks of breast screening
Breast screening could save my life from cancer
Breast screening could mean that I am diagnosed and treated for a cancer that would never have become life-threatening
There is debate about how many lives are saved by breast screening and how many women are diagnosed with cancers that would never become life-threatening.
When you arrive at the breast screening unit, the staff will check your details and ask you about any breast problems you have had. If you have any questions, please ask.
Mammograms are carried out by a female radiographer.To have a mammogram, you need to undress to the waist. So it may be easier to wear a skirt or trousers instead of a dress.
The radiographer will first explain what will happen. She will then place your breast onto the mammogram machine and lower a plastic plate onto it to flatten it. This helps to keep your breast still and get clear X-rays.
The radiographer will usually take two X-rays of each breast - one from above and one from the side. She will go behind a screen while the X-rays are taken. You have to keep still for several seconds each time.
Having a mammogram can be uncomfortable, and some women find it painful. Usually, any pain passes quickly.
Overall, for every 1 woman who has her life saved from breast cancer, about 3 women are diagnosed with a cancer that would never have become life-threatening.
Researchers are trying to find better ways to tell which women have breast cancers that will be life-threatening and which women have cancers that will not.
Whether your cancer is invasive or non-invasive, you will be offered treatment and care from a team of breast cancer specialists.
The benefits of having a MDT approach is that every case is analysed from all angles, by experts in each related fields seated together, resulting in the patient being presented with the most-rounded solution possible.
The treatment is likely to include surgery (which may mean a mastectomy), hormone therapy, radiotherapy and possibly chemotherapy as well.
The risk of developing breast cancer is a growing concern among many women and it is further fueled by the fact that we all know someone touched by the disease.
However, the good news is that there is a lot of research being done on breast cancer these days, and the treatment options are ever improving.
You can help lower your risk by following a few simple steps, which may not individually seem significant, but together can have a big impact on your health. Not all steps will apply to every woman, but staying informed is key to reducing your risk of breast cancer.
Maintaining a healthy weight is important for lowering your risk. Being overweight can increase your risk of developing different types of cancers, especially after menopause.
Getting regular exercise is a great way to keep your weight in check and it's a good way to stay healthy. Women who engage in 30 minutes of continuous physical activity a day have a much lower risk of getting breast cancer
Eating a wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables, foods rich in fibre such as whole grains, beans and legumes, low-fat milk and dairy products, foods rich in Vitamin D can help lower the risk of developing breast cancer.
While moderate drinking has been found to be good for the heart in older adults, even low levels of intake can increase the risk of breast cancer. Keep your alcohol consumption at moderate levels or lower (a drink a day or less).If you don't drink, it's best you don't start. If you do drink, drink moderately. But, if you drink more, you should cut down or quit
Breastfeeding for a total of one year or more (combined for all children) lowers the risk of breast cancer. It also has great health benefits for the child.
Birth control pills have both risks and benefits. The younger a woman is, the lower the risks are. While women are taking birth control pills, they have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. This risk goes away quickly, though, after stopping the pill. The risk of stroke and heart attack is also increased while on the pill - particularly if a woman smokes. However, long-term use can also have important benefits, like lowering the risk of ovarian cancer, colon cancer and uterine cancer - not to mention unwanted pregnancy - so there's also a lot in its favor. If you're very concerned about breast cancer, avoiding birth control pills is one option to lower risk.
Post-menopausal hormones shouldn't be taken long term to prevent chronic diseases, like osteoporosis and heart disease. If women do take post-menopausal hormones, it should be for the shortest time possible. The best person to talk to about the risks and benefits of post-menopausal hormones is your doctor.
Although not commonly thought of as a "healthy behavior, taking the prescription drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene can significantly lower the risk of breast cancer in woman at high risk of the disease.
Women with a strong family history of cancer can take special steps to protect themselves, so it's important for women to know their family history. You may be at high risk of breast cancer if you have a mother or sister who developed breast or ovarian cancer (especially at an early age) or if you have multiple family members (including males) who developed breast, ovarian or prostate cancer. A doctor or genetic counselor can help you understand your family history of the disease.
Studies show that breast cancer screening with mammography saves lives. It doesn't help prevent cancer, but it can help find cancer early when it's most treatable. For most women, regular mammograms can begin at age 40, but specific recommendations vary by age and risk.
Unfortunately, there are also a number of important breast cancer risk factors that women have no control over. Knowing which ones apply to you can help you understand your risk and do what you can to lower it. If you feel you're at high risk, talk to a doctor or other health professional. These can increase a woman's breast cancer risk:
