Diagnosing Breast Cancer

 Finding cancer early:  It is important to be familiar with how a normal breast feels and looks. This can change during the normal menstrual cycle, when breasts may be tender and a little lumpy. However, if a cancer is present and goes undetected,it can spread to other parts of the body through a process known as metastasis. CTCs (circulating tumour cells) carry cancer cells to other locations in the body in the bloodstream. The sooner the cancer is found, the greater the chances of successful treatment and recovery. Self-examinations are important for early detection of a breast cancer.

 Symptoms

There are a wide range of symptoms which may indicate breast cancer. Although most cases are not breast cancer, some things to look out for are:

  • lumps in the breast or armpit
  • nipple inversion
  • change in the breast or nipple colour or shape, for example, the skin may appear dimpled or there may be a change in texture
  • Early signs of breast cancernipple discharge

Types 

DCIS-Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: cancer within the ducts, non-invasive, but if ignored, may lead to an invasive ductal carcinoma

LCIS-Lobular Carcinoma In Situ: this is not cancer. It means that there are cells in the lobes of the breast that may develop into cancers. This is just an increased risk, not a given.

Invasive Ductal Cancer: this is a cancer growing in the cells of the ducts and lobes of the breast. It is the most common type of breast cancer.

Invasive Lobular Cancer: is a cancer growing in the lobe(s) of the breast. It affects women and some men. It is hard to diagnose because it appears as thick skin.

Paget’s Disease of the Nipple: looks like eczema around the nipple and is closely linked with breast cancer. If Paget’s is diagnosed, there is a 90% chance that breast cancer is also present.

Image courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:En_Breast_cancer_illustrations.gif Image is in the public domain and is thus free of any copyright restrictions.

 Stages of Breast Cancer

Breast cancers are characterised in stages, with Stage 1 being “early” stage and Stage 4 being “late” stage cancer. When allocating a stage, doctors take into account the size and spread of the tumour, as well as lymph node involvement. Treatment is decided based upon the stage of the cancer.

Stage 0

  • Localised to one particular area of the breast with no sign of spread

Stage 1

  • Up to 2cm in size, with possible spread to nearby lymph nodes

Stage 2A

  • The breast cancer is more invasive
  • The tumour measures between 2 and 5cm
  • There may be evidence of spread to the lymph nodes under the arm
  • In some Stage 2A breast cancers, no cancerous cells are present in the breast itself, but the axillary lymph nodes show signs of tumour cell presence

Stage 2B

  • A tumour between 2-5cm which has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm
  • Alternatively, the tumour may be larger than 5cm with no movement to axillary lymph nodes

Stage 3A

  • Characterised by clumps of cells in the axillary region and possible lymph node involvement

Stage 3B

  • The tumour has spread further into the breast skin as well as to the axillary lymph nodes

Stage 3C

  • Invasive cancer which has spread further than Stage 3B. This may include the region of the collarbone or lymph nodes in the midline of the chest

Stage 4

  • Advanced cancer which has spread to other organs 

The TNM Staging Scale

The TNM system describes the tumour in terms of its size, the number of lymph nodes affected, and the level of metastasis of the tumour. Read more about TNM staging.

 

Poll

Health care professionals say many women do not examine their breasts each month for the early signs of breast cancer. Do you?

Total votes: 15