Breast cancer part 1

Question 1

What is the genetic testing for breast cancer?

Answer 1

BRCA1 and BRCA2

Question 2

What are the diagnostic and preventative studies for BC?

Answer 2

• mammogram: yearly after 45
• ultrasound: differentiates solid mass from fluid filled cyst
• MRI: for high risk, in addition to mammogram

Question 3

What type of noninvasive breast cancer is most likely to develop into invasive cancer if left?

Answer 3

ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

Question 4

What is the treatment for lobular carcinoma in situ?

Answer 4

• nothing usually

- not cancer and not usually precancerous

Question 5

What is the treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?

Answer 5

• remove with sentinel node biopsy
• radiation post-op
• may get tamoxifen

Question 6

starts in the milk duct and breaks through the wall of the duct into the fatty tissue.
-accoutns for 8/10 infiltrated/invasive breast cancers

Answer 6

invasive ductal carcinoma

Question 7

What is the treatment for the HER2/neu gene growth promoting protein seen in 25-30% of metastatic cancers?

Answer 7

trastuzumab (Herceptin)
lapatinib (Tykerb)
-SE: cardiomyopathy and pulmonary toxicity

Question 8

What is a benefit to having a breast cancer that is positive for estrogen and/or progesterone?

Answer 8

-these tend to grow slower and respond to hormone treatment

Question 9

What is often the primary treatment for BC?

Answer 9

surgery

Question 10

What BC treatment deprives the tumor of estrogen?

Answer 10

SERMS: selective estrogen receptor modulators.

• Raloxifene (Evista)
• Tamoxifen (Nolvadex)
• these can also be taken prophalctically

Question 11

How long is the treatment for -Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and what is an important SE?

Answer 11

taken for 5 years after initial cancer treatment

-can cause visual problems, alert Dr. immediately if any changes in vision