Breast Cancer Flashcards
What are the non-modifiable risk factors for breast cancer?
sex
- female
increasing in age
family history
- BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations
previous diagnosis of breast cancer
previous benign breast lump
radiation/X-ray exposure
age when period starts/stops
nulliparous (a female who has never given birth to a live baby)
late age at first birth, >30 years
What are modifiable risk factors for breast cancers?
obesity
hormone therapy
drinking alcohol
What are symptoms of breast cancer?
lump or area of thickened breast tissue
change in shape and/or size of one or both breasts
lump or swelling in one or both armpits
discharge oozing from either nipple
- usually clear but may contain blood
skin dimples when pressed on one or both breasts
rash on or around the nipple
nipples change in appearance
- inverted/sunken in
What is not a normal symptom of breast cancer?
breast pain
How breast cancer be screened for?
breast self-exam or at GP surgery
- women who menstruate should wait one week after period has finished to check breasts
= due to hormonal changes
clinical breast exam in hospital/mobile unit
- mammogram
= women aged 50-70 years are invited every 3 years
How can breast cancer be diagnosed?
mammography
- X-ray of the breasts
breast ultrasound
fine needle aspiration (FNA)
- sample of cells/fluids taken from the breast tissue
core needle biopsy
- hollow needle used to take sample of breast tissue
punch biopsy
vacuum assisted biopsy
wire guided excision biopsy
breast MRI scan
How can the stages of breast cancer be classed?
TNM
T- tumour size
N - lymph node status = has it spread to lymph nodes?
M - metastasis = has it spread to other parts of the body?
What is a tumour profiling (TP) test? What are the different types?
is method of looking for genes, proteins and other biomarkers/tumour markers
- biomarkers are unique to each person
oncotype DX
EndoPredict
Prosigna
enables personalised treatments
What are the treatment options for breast cancer?
surgery
radiotherapy
chemotherapy
biological therapy
hormonal therapy
What are the types of surgery?
radical mastectomy
- whole breast is removed
modified mastectomy
- breast tissues/lymph nodes are removed
lumpectomy/breast conserving surgery
- cancerous tumour is removed, generally followed by radio therapy to reduce incidence of reoccurence
What is radio therapy? When is it used?
radiotherapy uses controlled doses of radiation to kill cancerous cells
usually given after surgery and chemotherapy to kill remaining cancerous cells
- sessions are 3-5 times a week upto 5 weeks
What are the side effects of radiotherapy?
organ damage
irritation and breast hyperpigmentation
- leads to soreness and redness
extreme fatigue
excess fluid build up under the arm - lymphoedema
What is chemotherapy? When is it administered ?
involves using cytotoxic (anticancer) drugs to kill cancer cells
neo-adjuvant therapy
- before surgery to shrink tumour size
adjuvant therapy
- administered after surgery to kill remaining cancerous cells
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
fatigue
nausea and vomiting
hair loss
infections
anaemia
bruising/bleeding
sore mouth
loss of appetite
skin and nail changes
memory issues
sleep issues
sex and fertility issues
diarrhoea
constipation
What is biological therapy? What is it used to treat?
transtuzimab
is a monoclonal antibody that attracts immune cells to tumour sites that overexposes HER2
- occurs via antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)
treats
- HER2 positive breast cancer
