Breast Cancer

Question 1

What are risk factors for breast cancer?

Answer 1

FH, age, uninterrupted oestrogen exposure, long oestrogen exposure, obesity, BRCA genes

Question 2

What is the most common type of breast cancer?

Answer 2

Invasive ductal carcinoma

Question 3

What is the next most common type of breast cancer?

Answer 3

Invasive lobular carcinoma

Question 4

What are some rarer types of breast cancer?

Answer 4

Medullary, colloid/mucoid

Question 5

What lump investigations can you do?

Answer 5

Clinical examination, histology/cytology, mammography/ultrasound, core biopsy

Question 6

What investigations would you do to assess any metastases?

Answer 6

CXR, bone scan, liver USS

Question 7

How can you treat stages 1-2?

Answer 7

Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, endocrine agents to reduce oestrogen activity, reconstruction

Question 8

What endocrine agent is commonly used?

Answer 8

Tamoxifen

Question 9

How can you treat stages 3-4?

Answer 9

Radiotherapy, tamoxifen

Question 10

How often are mammographs taken once age threshold is reached?

Answer 10

3 years

Question 11

What is stage 1?

Answer 11

Confined to breast - mobile

Question 12

What is stage 2?

Answer 12

Same as stage 1 + lymph node involvement in ipsilateral axilla

Question 13

What is stage 3?

Answer 13

Tumour fixed to muscle, ipsilateral lymph nodes may be matted or fixed, skin involvement larger than tumour

Question 14

What is stage 4?

Answer 14

Complete fixation of tumour to chest wall, distant metastases