Patients with Breast Disorders

Question 1

adjuvant chemotherapy:

Answer 1

the use of anticancer medications in addition to other treatments to delay or prevent a recurrence of the disease

Question 2

adjuvant hormonal therapy:

Answer 2

the use of synthetic hormones or other medications given after primary treatment to increase the chances of a cure by stopping or slowing the growth of certain cancers that are affected by hormone stimulation (sometimes called endocrine or antiestrogen therapy)

Question 3

aromatase inhibitors:

Answer 3

medications that block the production of estrogens by the adrenal glands

Question 4

atypical hyperplasia:

Answer 4

abnormal increase in the number of cells in a specific area within the ductal or lobular areas of the breast; this abnormal proliferation increases the risk for cancer

Question 5

benign proliferative breast disease:

Answer 5

various types of atypical, yet noncancerous, breast tissue that increase the risk of breast cancer

Question 6

brachytherapy:

Answer 6

delivery of radiation therapy through internal implants to a localized area of tissue

Question 7

BRCA1 and BRCA2:

Answer 7

genes on chromosome 17 that, when damaged or mutated, increase a woman’s risk for breast and/or ovarian cancer compared with women without the mutation

Question 8

breast conservation treatment:

Answer 8

surgery to remove a breast tumor and a margin of tissue around the tumor without removing any other part of the breast; may or may not include lymph node removal and radiation therapy

Question 9

dose-dense chemotherapy:

Answer 9

administration of chemotherapeutic agents at standard doses with shorter time intervals between each cycle of treatment

Question 10

ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS):

Answer 10

cancer cells starting in the ductal system of the breast but not penetrating surrounding tissue

Question 11

fibrocystic breast changes:

Answer 11

term used to describe certain benign changes in the breast, typically palpable nodularity, lumpiness, swelling, or pain

Question 12

fine-needle aspiration (FNA):

Answer 12

removal of fluid for diagnostic analysis from a cyst or cells from a mass using a needle and syringe

Question 13

gynecomastia:

Answer 13

firm, overdeveloped breast tissue typically seen in adolescent boys

Question 14

HER-2/neu:

Answer 14

a protein, when found in larger amounts, indicates an aggressive tumor

Question 15

lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS):

Answer 15

atypical change and proliferation of the lobular cells of the breast

Question 16

lymphedema:

Answer 16

chronic swelling of an extremity due to interrupted lymphatic circulation, typically from an axillary lymph node dissection

Question 17

mammoplasty:

Answer 17

surgery to reconstruct or change the size or shape of the breast; can be performed for reduction or augmentation

Question 18

mastalgia:

Answer 18

breast pain, usually related to hormonal fluctuations or irritation of a nerve

Question 19

mastectomy:

Answer 19

removal of the breast tissue and nipple–areola complex

Question 20

mastitis:

Answer 20

inflammation or infection of the breast tissue in lactating mothers. Can occur in women that are not lactating

Question 21

modified radical mastectomy:

Answer 21

removal of the breast tissue, nipple–areola complex, and a portion of the axillary lymph nodes

Question 22

Paget disease:

Answer 22

form of breast cancer that begins in the ductal system and involves scaly changes in the nipple, areola, and surrounding skin

Question 23

sentinel lymph node:

Answer 23

first lymph node(s) in the lymphatic basin that receives drainage from the primary tumor in the breast; identified by a radioisotope and/or blue dye

Question 24

stereotactic core biopsy:

Answer 24

computer-guided method of core needle biopsy that is useful when masses or calcifications in the breast cannot be felt but can be visualized using mammography

Question 25

surgical biopsy:

Answer 25

surgical removal of all or a portion of a mass for microscopic examination by a pathologist

Question 26

transverse rectus abdominal myocutaneous (TRAM) flap:

Answer 26

method of breast reconstruction in which a flap of skin, fat, and muscle from the lower abdomen, with its attached blood supply, is rotated to the mastectomy site

Question 27

At what age should a female receive a mammogram?

Answer 27

45 years

Question 28

What are some causes for nipple discharge in non lactating women?

Answer 28

carcinoma, papilloma, pituitary adenoma, cystic breasts, and various medications

Question 29

What are fibroadenomas?

Answer 29

firm, round, movable, benign tumors

Question 30

In what structure does medullary carcinoma grow within breast tissue and what percentage of breast cancer does it account for?

Answer 30

tumors grow in a capsule inside a duct. Occurs in 5% of breast cancer.

Question 31

What percentage of breast cancer does mucinous carcinoma account for and what age do you see this type of cancer?

Answer 31

3%, post menopausal and over 75 years of age.

Tumor is slow growing.

Question 32

Paget Disease accounts for __% of diagnosed breast cancer.

Answer 32

1

Question 33

How does malignant cancer travel in the body?

Answer 33

Lymph system

Question 34

What adjunctive hormonal therapy is used to treat breast cancer?

Answer 34

Selective Estrogen Receptor modulator & Aromatase inhibitors

Question 35

What is a type of Selective Estrogen receptor modulator used to treat breast cancer?

Answer 35

tamoxifen (Soltamox)

Question 36

What are types of aromatase inhibitors used to treat breast cancer?

Answer 36

anastrozole (Arimidex)
letrozole (Femara)
exemestane (Aromasin)

Question 37

After a mastectomy, a patient will go home with drains. Can the patient take them out when they get home?

Answer 37

If output is less than 30 mL in 24hr period, approx. 7-10 days

Question 38

What percentage of breast cancer are males?

Answer 38

10%