Breast Cancer

Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast grow and multiply uncontrollably and form a tissue mass called a tumor. Breast cancer develops within the breast tissue. Like other types of cancer, breast cancer continues to grow by invading the tissues around the breast. In addition, it goes to other parts of the body and causes new tumors to form there. This condition, known as the spread of cancer, is called metastasis.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the second most frequent type of cancer among women. Women over 50 are particularly impacted. Breast cancer can, however, strike anyone at any age. Men can develop breast cancer, though it is extremely uncommon. Less than 1 percent of breast cancer cases involve male individuals. Cancer that affects the breast can be fatal. In addition, it is the type of cancer that, after lung cancer, kills the most women. Additionally, it stands out as the cancer kind that kills the most females between the ages of 35 and 54.

Breast cancer types

There are various forms of breast cancer within the cancer itself. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the type of cancer that affects the milk ducts. The wall of the canal is damaged by this type of cancer, which then spreads to the breast tissue. The most typical malignancy is invasive ductal carcinoma. Invasive ductal carcinoma makes for about 80% of cases of breast cancer.

Another variety is ductal carcinoma in situ. It is also referred to as early-stage breast cancer. The malignancy can also be regarded as precancerous since it has not spread outside of the milk ducts. Usually, successful treatment is available for ductal carcinoma in situ.

The breast's lobular tissue, which is where milk is produced, develops invasive lobular cancer. It then spreads to the breast tissue from this point. Invasive lobular carcinoma is the most common kind of breast cancer, contributing for 10% to 15% of cases. The precancerous state of lobular cells in the breast is known as lobular carcinoma in situ. Although it is not a genuine cancer, it has the potential to develop into breast cancer in the future. It is advised that women with lobular carcinoma in situ undergo routine mammograms and breast exams.

Another typical subtype of breast cancer is triple negative. 15% of breast cancer cases have triple negative breast cancer. Additionally, this type of cancer is among the hardest to treat. Due to the absence of the three indicators present in other types of breast cancer, this type of cancer is known as triple negative. Its treatment and recovery procedure is therefore more challenging.

Two other types of breast cancer are inflammatory breast cancer and Paget's disease. These two types of cancer are the rarest type of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is very aggressive and spreads quickly throughout the body. Paget's disease affects the nipple and areola area.

Stages of Breast Cancer

It is crucial to categorize cancer according to its stages in order to comprehend the disease's progression and select the best course of action. Examining different elements, such as the tumor's location, size, or whether it has spread to other places, helps to establish the stage of cancer.

Stage zero cancer is not invasive. In short, it has not come out of the milk channels yet. It is the easiest to treat and the highest success rate. The presence of cancer cells in the surrounding breast tissues is considered as the first stage. In cases where the tumor is smaller than two centimeters and has spread to the lymph node in the armpit, or is smaller than five centimeters and has not yet spread, it is considered as the second stage.

In the third stage, the cancer has now invaded nearby tissues and lymph nodes. This stage is now considered advanced breast cancer. In the fourth stage, tumors can also be seen in distant organs such as bone, liver, brain or lung. The fourth stage is the most advanced and treatment success is very low.