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Breast Cancer Essay

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As the cells change, it begins to divide rapidly causing a tumor to form. The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Breast cancer can begin in different areas of the breast, or in some cases, the tissues in between. There are many different types of breast cancer, including non-invasive, invasive, recurrent, metastatic breast cancer, as well as the intrinsic or molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in around 20-30% of breast cancer tumors. It is associated with a more aggressive disease, higher recurrence rate, and increased mortality.
Genes contain the recipe for the various proteins a cell needs to stay healthy and …show more content…

But there are medicines specifically for HER2-positive breast cancer.
How your results appear in the report will depend on what test you have. There are four test for HER2. ImmunoHistoChemistry (IHC test) finds out if there is too much HER2 protein in the cancer cells. The results of the IHC test can be 0 (negative), 1+ (also negative), 2+ (borderline), or 3+ (positive- HER2 protein overexpression). The Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) test finds out if there are too many copies of the HER2 gene in the cancer cells. The results of the FISH test can be positive (HER2 gene amplification) or negative (no HER2 gene amplification). The Subtraction Probe Technology Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization (SPoT-Light HER2 CISH) test finds out if there are too many copies of the HER2 gene in the cancer cells. The results of the SPoT-Light test can be positive (HER2 gene amplification or negative (no HER2 gene amplification). The Inform Dual In Situ Hybridization (Inform HER2 Dual ISH) test finds out if there are too many copies of the HER2 gene in the cancer cells. The results of the inform HER2 Dual ISH test can be positive (HER2 gene amplification) or negative (no HER2 gene amplification). It is important to know which HER2 status test you had. Generally, only cancer that test IHC 3+, FISH positive, SPoT-Light HER CISH positive, or Inform HER2 Dual ISH positive respond to the medicines that target HER2-positive breast cancers. An IHC 2+ test

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