Breast cancer is an ailment that continues to wreak havoc. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just a women’s issue! We explain all of this in this article…
What is breast cancer, really?
While it is true that in the vast majority of cases, breast cancer only affects women, it should be noted that men are also prone to this disease. Therefore, gentlemen, it is advisable for you to know exactly what breast cancer is, to help your partners prevent it, or face it when they are afflicted. Likewise, it is to your advantage to know the warning signs of this disease, both in women and in men.
As a general rule, cancer is synonymous with the presence of abnormal cells that multiply uncontrollably. In the specific case of breast cancer, these abnormal cells can remain in the breast, or they can spread throughout the body via the blood and lymph vessels, forming a mass known as a tumor. Generally, this type of cancer develops over months, or even years in some cases.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide. Evidence demonstrates that one in nine women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and one in 27 will die from it. In 2015 for example, 54,000 new cases were diagnosed in France. In addition, it is worth noting that the risk of your companion developing breast cancer is even greater after menopause, generally around age 50. Once diagnosed, the survival rate is around 80 to 90% depending on age, and the type of cancer. However, the mortality rate related to breast cancer has decreased, thanks to advances in screening.
Breast Cancer Symptoms
In order to help your partner quickly detect the early signs of breast cancer, you must be able to know them, to easily identify them when they start to show. The symptoms of breast cancer are varied, and manifest differently depending on the individual. It can be expressed by:
- Spontaneous discharges, generally of blood, from the nipple;
- A retraction of the nipple;
- A lump in the breast (this is actually the most common symptom, both in women and men);
- A change in the appearance of the breast skin, which can thicken and harden, and have an unusual redness;
- An unusual change in size.
Please note that breast cancer generally affects women, but rarely those under 30 years old. 85% of cases occur from the age of 50 and over. In particular, it must be said that the risk factors that promote the onset of breast cancer in women are of various natures, and range from family or personal history, to late pregnancies. To this, we also add high exposure to natural estrogens, and radiation therapy treatments.
It is estimated that 1% of breast cancer cases occur in men. And in most cases, these are subjects over 60 years old. These are factors which sometimes, mislead patients and specialists, to the point where the diagnosis of the disease is made late, while the tumor has had time to evolve. Naturally, these cases become more difficult to manage.
Possible treatments for breast cancer
The treatment of breast cancer sometimes requires the contribution of several medical and paramedical disciplines. In fact, a treatment method is chosen according to the stage of the disease and the need in this regard. Among the possible treatment options are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and even the combination of different methods. The choice of one treatment or another depends on modalities such as:
- The type of cancer,
- Whether the lymph nodes are affected or not;
- The presence or absence of hormonal receptors on the surface of cancer cells;
- The age of the affected person, and their general condition;
- The presence or absence of metastases.
It should also be noted that when you or your partner are diagnosed with breast cancer, the choice of treatment is not made by a single doctor. In practice, the appropriate treatment is chosen after a Multidisciplinary Oncological Consultation (COM). This is an approach during which several specialists from different disciplines advise and argue their positions on the most suitable treatment. It is at the end of this COM that the treatment is defined. This means that each treatment is individualized, depending on the profile of the affected person, and the factors stated above.
Surgery is often the first treatment considered as soon as breast cancer is diagnosed. In this case, surgeons proceed with a limited removal, in addition to the removal of one or more lymph nodes under the arm; this is referred to as lymph node dissection. In some cases, the surgery involves a radical mastectomy. Also known as a mastectomy, it is a complete removal of the breast, after which a lightweight external prosthesis is placed on the patient at the end of the operation. It is also possible in some cases to preserve the breast. In such a case, specialists consider a lumpectomy, which consists of a surgical removal of the tumor and some of the healthy tissue surrounding it.
As for radiotherapy, it consists of using high-intensity beams to destroy cancer cells. It is a local treatment for breast cancer that only affects the infected area. It promotes breast conservation under the best conditions. It should be noted that radiotherapy comes in two techniques: external radiotherapy, and internal radiotherapy.
Chemotherapy on its part, is a treatment entirely different from the other two. It uses different drugs that will be spread throughout the body before or after surgery. After surgery, we talk about adjuvant chemotherapy; and before, we talk about neoadjuvant chemotherapy.