Breast Cancer Flashcards
What is the most common cancer among women?
Breast cancer
Has Mortality increased, stayed the same or decreased in patients with breast cancer since 1990?
Decreased
In which parts of the world are incidence rates of breast cancer more elevated?
In economically developed regions - such as North America, western Europe, and Australia and New Zealand
In which parts of the world are incidence rates of breast cancer are lower?
In economically developing areas such as sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia.
Why is breast cancer incidence different in different parts of the world?
These differences across countries are likely related to:
- Breast cancer screening
- Reproductive factors
- Changes in fat intake and body weight, 4. Differences in age at menarche and/or lactation.
What are the main reasons for the increase in incidence in breast cancer?
- Late childbearing age
- Increase in obesity
What is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide in females?
Breast cancer
What is the most common malignancy in the US?
Breast Cancer
What is the most common cause of cancer-related death among women in the US?
Lung Cancer
What is the second most common cause of cancer-related death among women in the US?
Breast Cancer
In what race has breast cancer been historically more incident?
White women
What are some factors that contribute to the racial difference in incidence in breast cancer?
- More frequent use of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy in white women
- Higher screening mammography among white women
What are the main difference in breast cancer mortality between black and white women? What are some factors that contribute to this difference?
The breast cancer mortality is approximately 40% higher among black women compared to white women.
- Breast cancer is more likely to develop before age 40 in black women than in white women
- Black women are also more likely to be dx at a more advanced stage
- Black women tend to have more high grade, triple negative tumors
Other factors…
In what races have lower cancer releated incidence and mortality rates?
Asian, native America and hispanic women
What are the main non-modiafiable risk factors for breast cancer?
- Age - older age >50
- Sex- Female
- Age at first birth >30 or nulliparity
- Age at menarche <12
- Age of menipause >50
- Hx of Atypical ductal hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ
- First degree relatives
- Ashkenazi Jewish ethnicity
- Therapeutic irradiation to the chest <30 yrs
What are the risk factors for breast cancer in males?
- Age >60
- Genetic predisposicion with BRCA2 or PALB2 mutations
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Testicular alterations that result in testosterone deficiency
- Syndromes that increase the estrogen to testosterone ratio (Obesity or Cirrhosis)
What are the main familial risk factors for development of breast cancer?
Hx of breast and/or ovarian cancer in a family member dx before age 50
What % of breast cancers are associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2?
5-10%
Having a first degree relative with breast cancer increases risk of breast cancer by how many folds?
2X
Having a first degree relative with breast cancer at an age <50 increases risk of breast cancer by how many folds?
3-4x
Having 2 first degree relative with breast cancer increases risk of breast cancer by how many folds?
3-4x
True or False: Having breast cancer in one breast increases the risk of developing contralateral disease?
True
What are considered to be high penetrance mutations in breast cancer?
- BRCA1 and BRCA2
- TP53 (Li-Fraumeni syndrome)
- PTEN (cowden syndrome/harmatoma tumor syndrome)
- STK11 (Peutz-Jeghers syndrome)
- CDH1 (hereditary diffuse gastric cancer)
- PALB2
What mutations are considered to be moderate penetrance in breast cancer?
- ATM
- CHEK1 truncating
- CHEK2 missense
- NF1
Others: BRIP1, MSH2, MLH1, MSH6, PMS2, EPCAM, NBN, RAD51C, RAD51D (insufficient evidence)



