The Importance Of Breast Cancer Treatment

There are many different diseases that terrorize the human race every day. Of all of these sicknesses, one of the most devastating is breast cancer. Breast cancer touches all types of people all over the world each day. It is actually the second most common cancer amongst women in the United States. One in every eight women in the United States has some form of breast cancer and currently, the death rates are higher than any other cancer with the exception of lung cancer. Cancer is defined by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary as “a malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth that expands locally by invasion and systemically by metastasis.” Therefore, breast cancer is a disease of

All around the world, breast cancer has become a huge issue and has effected many lives.

Radiation therapy, the second option of local treatments, is the use of radioactive materials to lessen the density of the cancer. “Radiation therapy before surgery can help to shrink the breast tumor. After breast-sparing surgery, radiation treatments can help destroy any remaining breast cancer cells” (Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer). Radiation is used to stop the growth, and the spreading of cells. The more frequent radiation, the

Roughly one in eight women in the United States will develop an invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. In 2016, a projected 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer are estimated to be detected, along with an additional 61,000 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. There are greater than 2.8 million women with a diagnosis of breast cancer in the United States, including women presently being treated and women who have completed treatment. Research developments over the past twenty years have ultimately altered the prognosis of breast cancer care. In recent years, there has been an eruption of life-saving advances against breast cancer. Death rates have declined approximately thirty-six percent, believed to be the product of treatment advancement and earlier detection. This paper is intended for those breast cancer patients who are considering breast-conservation surgery, also known as lumpectomy, followed by intracavitary radiation brachytherapy. Patients must be at least forty years old, with a single primary tumor less than three centimeters, negative surgical margins by at least two millimeters, and be without lymph nodal involvement, to be considered candidates for this form of treatment. Radiation therapy is a highly precise and effective way to extinguish minuscule cancer cells that may have been neglected or undetected during surgery. Radiation is often delivered after breast-conserving surgery to reduce the risk that the cancer will recur in the

Unfortunately, as most of us know cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in our society. Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women in the United States, next to lung cancer and also the most common cancer diagnosed in women. Over one million people are diagnosed with cancer every year in the U.S. alone. As many people are aware of today, due to uncontrolled growth of cells within in the body, cancer is developed through this. During class Dr. Weilert asked us whether we knew anyone that had cancer, suffered with some form of cancer or are now in remission. I was shocked to see that about 80% of the class did know someone. Since there has been an ongoing investigation and ongoing research for the cure of cancer, it is now known that there are over one hundred different types of cancer. In this paper I will discuss; the natural history, pathophysiology, the signs & symptoms, the diagnoses and finally share some statistics surrounding breast cancer within the United States.

Breast cancer is a disease that comes unexpectedly; many people tend to overlook the symptoms. There are different types of breast cancers that require treatments and surgery. The course of treatment varies from patient to patient because there are many factors that can contribute to a patient’s treatment plan. Once the plan is in place, there are many things that will need to be done in order to ensure that the cancer will not return. Trying to beat cancer can be a long, extraneous, and in some cases a fatal process. Its important to catch cancer at its earliest stage. Knowing the symptoms of certain cancers may just save a life.

Breast cancer is a major burden of disease for females in Australia. It is defined as the abnormal growth and uncontrolled division in breast cells resulting in cancerous cells that can invade and damage surrounding tissue (Montaruli et al., 2012). In Australia, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and is the second highest cause of cancer related death (Bech et al., 2012). On average, one in eight women are expected to develop breast cancer in their lifetime (Bech et al., 2012;Yu et al., 2014). The incidence of breast cancer worldwide is increasing annually and it affects both males and females. Breast cancer is, therefore, an important priority area for the Australian health system and is crucial to understand

In patients with early-stage or locally advanced breast cancer, the main goal of treatment options are extending survival and maintain quality of life, several factors important in selecting among treatment options. There are a number of treatments for cancer that is surgery, chemotherapy, radia¬tion, hormone therapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Breast cancer accounts for 22.9% of cancers, which excludes melanomas, in females (Global) which costs approximately an estimated total of $3.8billion where $1.8 billion of that represents treatment costs. This money can be saved by reducing the rate at which people get breast cancer (incidence rate) by using breast cancer prevention methods, such as preventative hormonal drugs like Tamoxifen or Raloxifene, or screening for a gene associated with Breast Cancer. Although the mortality rate of breast cancer has decreased since 1989 by 40% it still costs person £3731 on average to cover funeral costs . This adds to personal costs too as well as the government, which in the UK is the NHS. So, on the whole, the higher incidence rate, the higher the long term costs. As can be seen from the graph, since 1989, breast cancer mortality rates have fallen by 0.9 cases per year on average. This still results in approximately

Chemotherapy is the gold standard that frequently used to lessen symptoms in patients with advanced breast cancer and reduce the risk of return in patients with localized breast cancer. In principle, chemotherapy involves the administration of chemical agents that target proliferating cancer cells. The aim of chemotherapy is to shift the balance of cell proliferation to one of cell death or apoptosis (Moulder et al., 2008; Pohl et al., 2008). Chemotherapeutic agents can be given in an adjuvant form post-primary treatment (after surgery, anti-hormone therapy, and radiation) to reduce the risk of recurrence or to offer remedy care in patients with the advanced metastatic disease. In contrast, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is given before primary treatment

Although the incidence of breast cancer is increasing, mortality rates are declining due to better treatment and screening, and earlier detection.4,5 Patients are being made more aware of the

Breast cancer has been acknowledged for centuries, with records dating as far back as the ancient Egyptians, over 3500 years ago (1). However diagnosis, research and progress throughout history have been slow due to it being a matter of taboo and humiliation. In 1957 the idea of surgically removing the tumours was suggested by Henri Le Dran, introducing mastectomy to the 20th century; the first scientific step in acting against cancer. Radical mastectomy lengthened survival, however was often declined due to the disfigurement left behind. To overcome this, Bernard Fisher published results from ‘breast conserving’ surgery accompanied by radiation or chemotherapy, which were ‘just as effective’ as a radical mastectomy (1).

In the TARGIT-A trial, 3451 patients aged 45 years or older with early-stage breast cancer were randomized to either receive IORT or EBRT after BCT. In the IORT group, patients received a single dose of TARGIT with Intrabeam after tumor excision or in the immediate post-operative period. If upon final pathology, the patient was found to be of higher risk with unsuspected criteria such as lobular pathology or lymphovascular invasion, then she would also undergo EBRT after receiving IORT at 45-50Gy. IORT is considered individualized risk-adjusted radiotherapy, whereas the EBRT group is considered a one-size-fits-all radiotherapy. In the EBRT group, patients received a standard course of EBRT of 40-50Gy in 15-25 fractions with or without a tumor bed boost of 10-16Gy in 5-8 fractions.4

Radiotherapy is a form of treatment where the use of radiation energy is employed to destroy cancerous cells, stop the progression of cancer, and/or to encourage remission. This kind of therapy is usually combined with cancer medication to increase the aggressiveness and effectiveness of the treatment (Desantis et al., 2014). Radiotherapy is introduced at different stages of cancer depending on its type. For instance, in breast cancer, radiotherapy is used simultaneously with chemotherapy as soon as the diagnosis is made. Surgery can also be recommended in many cases and use as a combination of treatments. Surgery could be use not only as a treatment option, but also for diagnosis, staging and prevention (ACS,

While the completion of treatment is excitedly anticipated, many cancer survivors would still be disturbed by the emotional and physical tribulation of their breast cancer trajectory (Surbone & Peccatori, 2006). This is because, the impact of cancer remains long even after treatment ended. Besides the common issues that accompany any cancer diagnosis, breast cancer survivors also have to deal with exclusive concerns such as decreased sexual function, relationship issues, fears about genetic inheritability of cancer and complications from this disease such as lymphedema (Hodgkinson, Butow, Fuchs, et al., 2007). Therefore, the completion of treatment does not equate to lesser need for health care. Long term health issues related to breast cancer survivors have thus emerged as a public health concern.