Therapeutics of Breast Cancer (Weddle) Flashcards
Provide some risk factors for breast cancer.
- age
- 1st- and 2nd-degree relatives with breast cancer
- personal history
- prior treatment for lymphoma with mediastinal XRT or environmental radiation exposure
- endogenous estrogen exposure (early menarche, late menopause)
- exogenous estrogen (oral contraceptives, HRT)
- alcohol
- prior breast biopsies
- nulliparity or age >30 before 1st birth
- elevated BMI
- diet
BRCA 1 and 2 are ________________.
tumor suppressor genes
Which BRCA type has a high prevalence of variants in Askenazi Jews?
BRCA1
Which BRCA type is more often implicated in male breast cancers?
BRCA2
What is the purpose of the GAIL model?
determines relative risk (RR) of developing breast cancer
Data on clinical exams was shown to be ___________ to demonstrate benefits.
insufficient
Which organization is more supportive of annual mammograms?
American Cancer Society
At what age does the American Cancer Society endorse annual mammograms?
45-54
What three agents have been studied for breast cancer prevention?
tamoxifen, raloxifene, and exemestane
What was the most important conclusion of the NSABP Breast Cancer Prevention Trial?
tamoxifen decreased the risk of invasive/noninvasive breast cancer in all women (50% risk reduction)
Although tamoxifen has been shown to decrease risk of breast cancer, what were some drawbacks from the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial?
- increased endometrial cancer
- increased risk of stroke/PE/DVT
Which agent did the MORE Trial evaluate?
raloxifene
What did the STAR trial reveal?
that raloxifene was just as effective as tamoxifen (both drugs showed 50% reduction)
Which agent is known to have more toxicities: tamoxifen or raloxifene?
tamoxifen
Which agent did the NCIC-CTG MAP.3 Study investigate?
exemestane
True or false: both exemestane and anastrazole are FDA-approved for breast cancer prevention
false; neither is FDA-approved, although they do appear to be reasonable prevention options
Most invasive carcinomas of the breast are ________.
ductal (IDC)
How will a patient with inflammatory breast cancer present?
- edema
- redness
- warmth
- inflammation
- peau d’orange
Why would inflammatory breast cancer be delayed in diagnosis?
it is often misdiagnosed as cellulitis
Which breast cancer type is typically seen as microcalcifications on a mammogram?
ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
When might an ultrasound be useful in diagnosing breast cancer?
in younger women with denser breasts; can distinguish between a solid mass or cyst
Define fine needle aspiration.
fluid and/or cells are removed from the breast lump using a thin needle
Define core biopsy.
a thick needle is used to remove tissue from the breast (gold standard, helps determine if invasive)
Define surgical biopsy.
removal of the entire lesion for pathological examination
What are the two ways that we can test a patient’s HER2 status?
immunohistochemistry or FISH
In which breast cancer groups is Oncotype DX validated for use?
- newly-diagnosed
- stage I or II
- lymph node -/+
- ER+
What TAILORx score would warrant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy?
26 or greater
True or false: breast cancer can metastasize anywhere.
true