Breast Cancer

If you're among the one in eleven Australian  and New Zealand women diagnosed with breast cancer, you have a good chance of beating this disease--much better than just a decade ago. The tough part may be sorting through all the options now available.
 
What is happening

Surveys consistently show that breast cancer is the disease that women fear most, which makes a diagnosis when it actually happens all the more scary. While this reaction is understandable, it's important to keep in mind that the outlook for women with breast cancer is steadily improving through the development of more sophisticated screening tools, earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments.
    A few basic facts:  breast cancer begin when abnormal cells start to grow, eventually forming a tiny mass ( a tumour) in the breast. About 90 percent of the time, this malignancy occurs in the milk
ducts (called ductal carcinoma) or in the milk glands (called lobular carcinoma). Sometimes, an overgrowth of abnormal cells along the lining of a milk duct says confined to one spot, or in situ, a condition known as 'ductal carcinoma in situ', or DCIS (see on shortly). Only rarely, however, does a tumour develop in the connective tissue that makes up the rest of the breast.

LIKELY FIRST STEPS

• If you are over 50, have a mammogram every two years.
• Surgery to remove he cancerous growth, sometimes followed by chemotherapy  or hormonal therapy.
• Radiation to shrink the tumour and kill remaining cancer cells.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

• What are my chances of surviving this?
• What side effects can I anticipate from this treatment?
• Will my figure ever recover? What about reconstruction?
• Does this mean I'm at greater 
  
  risk for other cancers?

   At diagnosis, a breast cancer tumour is classified by stage-from 0 for the smallest to 4 for the most serious--to indicate a tumour's size and whether malignant cells have spread elsewhere in the body. You may already know the stage of your disease, this is important as it helps to clarify the best treatment optionrs for your particular case (see on shortly). Another important factor determined at diagnosis is whether the tumour is hormone receptor-positive (hormone sensitive). If it is, anit-oestrogen therapy and removal of your oestrogen-producing ovaries are more likely to work.
  For most breast cancers it's good news if the lymph nodes (called axillary nodes) in the armpit closest to the affected breast (see illustration below) are cancer-free, or 'node-negative'. This means it's unlikely the cancer has spread, or metatasised, through your lymphatic system to other sites in the body. Even if you're 'node-lymphatic system to other sites in the body. Even if you're 'node-positive', an excellent array of effective treatments are now widely used.

Treatments

There's no single treatment  strategy that works for everyone. And what's recommended for you may not be the same as what's best for another woman. In general, key factors in determining the best treatment will be the tumour's size, aggressiveness and location. The earlier the stage and the smaller the tumour, the more likely that surgery will be able to remove it all and offer a total cure. But there are also good options for more advanced stages if the cancer has spread beyond the breast. In designing a treatment, your doctor will consider other factors as well: Your age and general health, the size of your breasts and whether you're through menopause. The strategy you're ultimately given will then probably feature a mix-and-match of surgery, chemotherapy or hormone-blockers and radiation.

                                                  Treatment Options 

Procedures
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 Surgery                                                     Lumpectomy or mastectomy variations.
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Radiation therapy                                      Whole-breast external beam most common; internal 
                                                                    radiation, or brachy therapy with radioactive 'seeds'
                                                                    for a lumpectomy.

MEDICATIONS
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Chemotherapy                                        For long-term, relapse-free survival.
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 Hormonal therapy                                 Tamoxifen, SERMS.
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Ovarian treatment                                    For tumours that are oestrogen-sensitive.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get supported                                               Helps emotions provides advice.
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Make healthy choices                                  Nutritious diet, exercise and weight control.
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Reduce stress                                               Meditation, yoga and massage can help.