Repro Flashcards
Is it only women that can get breast cancer?
NO - there are around 300 new cases a year in male patients in the UK
what are some risk factors for breast cancer ? (9)
- Increasing age
- Previous breast cancer
- Genetics (BRCA1+BRCA2)
- Early menarche and late menopause
- Late or no pregnancy
- HRT
- Alcohol(14+units per week)
- Obesity
- Post radiotherapy treatment for Hodgkin’s disease
What genes are linked to an increased chance of having breast cancer
BRCA1 and BRCA2
Who is invited to breast screening in the UK
Anyone registered to a GP who is registered as a woman will be invited to breast screening every 3 years from ages 50-71
What are the symptoms of breast cancer ?
Lump
Mastalgia (persistent unilateral pain)
Nipple discharge (blood stained)
Nipple changes (Paget’s disease, retraction)
Change in size or shape of breast
Lymphoedema (swelling of arm)
Dimpling of the breast skin
what is the most sensitive imaging modality of the breast for older women and why ?
mammography
- sensitivity is reduced in young women due to presence on increased glandular tissue (<35y)
What are the invasive types of breast cancer
Ductal carcinoma (80%)
Lobular carcinoma (10%)
others (10%) eg. mucinous, tubular, papillary, medullary, sarcoma, lymphoma
what are the non invasive types of breast cancer ?
DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ )
LCIS (Lobular carcinoma in situ)
what tools are used to stage breast cancer
FBC, U+E, LFT, Ca2+/PO2-
chest x ray
management for breast cancer
surgery with or without -> radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy
can be neo-adjuvant (before surgery) or adjuvant (after)
Two main types of surgery for breast cancer
- breast conservation surgery
- mastectomy
what is BCS
Breast-conserving surgery (BCS), also known as a lumpectomy, is a treatment option for breast cancer that removes the cancerous tissue while leaving the rest of the breast intact
what is the first node to receive lymphatic drainage from the breasts?
sentinel lymph node
If the Sentinel lymph node is clear from breast metastasis what does this mean
if negative the rest of the lymph nodes are clear and no further treatment is required
If the Sentinel lymph node is not clear from breast metastasis what does this mean
the nodes will ALL have to be removed surgically or radiotherapy must be given to all the axillary lymph nodes
