Tag: breast cancer

What You Need to Know and How to Help Someone Diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Posted on by Julie Scott, DNP

What is Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC)?

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. It is known by the inflammation of the breast tissue. IBC is a rare form of breast cancer, accounting for only 1-5% of all breast cancer cases. It’s caused by the cancer cells blocking the lymphatic system in the breast, which causes its classic symptoms.

Risk factors

The exact cause of IBC is unknown, but several risk factors have been identified.

  • Female sex
  • Being aged 40-50 years old
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Family history of breast cancer
  • Being African American

Symptoms

Symptoms of IBC are often different from other types of breast cancer. These can include:

  • Swelling of the breast
  • Warmth and redness to the breast
  • Breast skin changes, such as dimpling or thickening, like an orange peel
  • Itching
  • Swollen lymph nodes under the arm
  • Nipple inversion

Anyone experiencing these symptoms may at first think they have an infection in the breast. However, they should seek evaluation urgently to rule out the presence of IBC.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of IBC is typically made through a combination of physical examination, imaging studies, and biopsy. A biopsy will be done to confirm the presence of cancer cells and determine the cancer type.

Treatment

Treatment for IBC typically involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In some cases, targeted therapy or immunotherapy may also be used. The specific treatment plan will depend on the stage and aggressiveness of the cancer and the patient’s overall health.

It is important to note that IBC is an aggressive form of breast cancer, and prompt diagnosis and treatment are needed for a good outcome. People with symptoms of IBC should immediately seek medical attention and discuss any concerns with their doctor.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare but serious type of cancer that affects the skin and tissue of the breast. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with IBC, it’s important to get familiar with the facts and understand what treatment and support options are available. There are many ways to help someone manage IBC, from providing emotional support to helping them access financial assistance and practical resources. By educating yourself on this disease and its impact, you can be a powerful advocate for those who need it most.

Breast cancer systemic treatment

Posted on by Julie Scott, DNP

The exact treatment prescribed for you will be based on the stage and characteristics of your breast cancer. It’s important to talk to your oncology team if you have any specific questions about your particular treatment. 

Treatment is often classified into local therapy or systemic therapy. Local therapy means that it only treats the breast, and not any other parts of the body. Systemic therapy is treatment that goes around your entire body, treating cancer cells that may be present outside of the breast. A combination of local and systemic therapy may be given for breast cancer. 

This article will focus on the systemic therapy options for breast cancer – chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and HER2 therapy. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is medication that is used to stop the division of cells, causing cell death. Because cancer cells are abnormal and usually grow out of control, they are killed by chemotherapy. Unfortunately, chemotherapy can cause side effects because healthy cells are affected as well. 

Chemotherapy can be given before surgery (called neoadjuvant chemo) or after surgery (adjuvant chemo). 

Some examples of chemotherapy used to treat breast cancer include:

  • Anthracyclines (Adriamycin)
  • Taxanes (Taxol, Taxotere)
  • Carboplatin
  • Cyclophosphamide

The specific side effects of chemotherapy can differ for each medication, as well as the dose that is given. 

Hormone Therapy

When breast cancer is ER+ and/or PR+, hormonal, or endocrine, therapy is given to prevent the growth of breast cancer cells. Some of these medications work by blocking the hormone receptors, while others work at decreasing levels of estrogen in the body. These medications are usually given for years to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back. Some examples of hormone therapy include:

  • Tamoxifen
  • Aromatase inhibitors (Femara, Arimidex, Aromasin)
  • Faslodex
  • Zoladex
  • Lupron

Side effects can differ for each medication, but are generally related to low levels of estrogen (ex: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, decreased bone density).

HER2 Therapy

If breast cancer is HER2+, systemic therapy to target the HER2 receptors specifically is given to treat the breast cancer. These are usually used in combination with chemotherapy, and multiple HER2 medications may be used together. Some examples of HER2 targeted therapy used for early stage breast cancer include Herceptin and Perjeta. 

Breast cancer local treatment

Posted on by Julie Scott, DNP

The exact treatment prescribed for you will be based on the stage and characteristics of your breast cancer. It’s important to talk to your oncology team if you have any specific questions about your particular treatment. 

Treatment is often classified into local therapy or systemic therapy. Local therapy means that it only treats the breast, and not any other parts of the body. Systemic therapy is treatment that goes around your entire body, treating cancer cells that may be present outside of the breast. A combination of local and systemic therapy may be given for breast cancer. 

This article will focus on the local therapy options for breast cancer – surgery and radiation. 

Surgery

Surgery is often used in early stage breast cancer. Surgery can involve removing only the area of cancer along with a small area of healthy tissue around it (called a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy) or the removal of the entire breast (called a mastectomy). 

Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed during surgery as well. The two types of these are called a sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, and an axillary lymph node dissection. During a SLN biopsy, the first lymph node leaving the breast is identified by using a special dye. It’s then removed and checked for cancer cells. During an axillary lymph node dissection, many lymph nodes are removed from under the armpit of the side of the body where the breast cancer originated. 

When you consult with a surgeon, they will review your records, likely do a physical exam, and talk with you about the best surgical option. 

Radiation

Radiation therapy uses high energy beams of radiation to treat the entire breast and kill any remaining breast cancer cells. This is often done after a breast biopsy or a lumpectomy. The radiation will most likely be given Monday through Friday for a period of about 6 weeks. Each treatment takes only a few minutes. This type of radiation is called external beam radiation. 

There are some other forms of radiation, called brachytherapy, where seeds of radiation are placed within the cavity of the breast left by surgery. This can treat the area locally and help reduce the risk of recurrence. Sometimes it can even be given during surgery. Brachytherapy is not used as often as external beam radiation. 

Are you interested in learning more about Breast Cancer systemic treatments? Check out our next article on this topic.

Characteristics of breast cancer

Posted on by Julie Scott, DNP

Characteristics of breast cancer

When a biopsy is done, and cancer has been confirmed, there are additional things the oncologist needs to know about the cancer. 

Hormone receptor status: This determines if the cancer cells use either estrogen or progesterone (or both) to grow. If there are estrogen receptors on the cancer cells, it is called ER+, and for progesterone, PR+. If there aren’t any, then it is referred to as ER- and PR-. 

HER2 status: The HER2 protein can be used by some cancer cells to grow quickly. If there are high levels of HER2 on the cancer cells, it is called HER2+ breast cancer. If little or no HER2 receptors are seen, then it is HER2-. 

Breast cancer can be described as triple positive (ER+, HR+, HER2+), triple negative (ER-, PR-, HER2-), or can be a combination of positivity or negativity of any of them. 

Ductal vs lobular: This describes the area of the breast where the cancer cells originated, either the milk ducts or the lobules of the breast. 

Additionally, other characteristics such as how quickly the cancer cells are dividing, and how similar (or not) they look to normal cells, helps round out all of the information the oncologist needs to develop the correct treatment plan for each person with breast cancer. 

Are you interested in learning more about Breast Cancer local treatments? Check out our next article on this topic.

 

Breast Cancer

Posted on by Julie Scott, DNP

What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States. The average female will have about a 13% chance of getting breast cancer sometime in her life. That number may be higher for women who are at higher risk due to genetic factors. 

Risk Factors

The most common risk factors for getting breast cancer include:

  • Getting older
  • Family history of breast or ovarian cancer
  • Genetic mutations such as BRCA
  • Having dense breasts
  • Previously having radiation therapy to the chest
  • Obesity
  • Taking hormone replacement therapy for > 5 years
  • Heavy alcohol use

Diagnostic Imaging

Mammograms are x-rays of the breast. These x-rays can look for changes of the breast that may suggest the development of breast cancer. If something suspicious is seen on a mammogram, the next step is usually a breast ultrasound. 

A breast ultrasound can be done to get a better look at something a mammogram showed, or to get a better look at dense breasts. An ultrasound can also be done during a biopsy to help guide the radiologist on where to get the tissue. 

Breast MRI is another diagnostic tool that can be used to look at the breasts. Sometimes they are used as a screening tool for those at high risk of getting breast cancer. MRI can be used if the mammogram and ultrasound are inconclusive.

CT scans and PET scans can be done after someone has been diagnosed with breast cancer, to see if there has been any spread of cancer outside of the breasts. 

Diagnosis

If a mass in the breast is suspicious for cancer, a biopsy will be ordered. This is often done by a surgeon or radiologist, who will get a small sample of the tissue to check for the presence of cancer cells. 

Once a diagnosis is made, and any other additional imaging is done, the cancer team can diagnose the stage of the cancer. 

Staging

Breast cancer is staged from 0 to IV, with higher stages meaning the cancer is more advanced. Staging is based on the size of the tumor, the involvement of any nearby lymph nodes, and presence of metastases, or spread to other organs. 

 

Are you interested in learning more about Breast Cancer Characteristics? Check out our next article on this topic.

Feedback/Question

We would love to hear your thoughts or questions.

Please fill and submit the form below and one of our program evangelists will reach out to you shortly.
Protected by reCAPTCHA
Terms of Service& Privacy Policy

Thank you for recommending your support group!
We will be reaching out to invite your group to participate in our network.

Request to Access was submitted

A specialist with this email already exists in cancerGO

Request Physician/Specialist Access

We are excited about your interest in cancerGO! Physicians/specialists provide deep insights, novel clinical methods, and invaluable advice to patients, their loved ones, and the broader community.

Please fill below to request early access and we will get back to you shortly with further details.
Protected by reCAPTCHA
Terms of Service& Privacy Policy