WOMEN'S HEALTH - BREAST MEDICINE Flashcards
NON-INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU (DCIS)
What is the pre-malignant form of breast cancer?
- Non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
NON-INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU (DCIS)
How is it detected?
- Asymptomatic on screening
- Epithelial lining of breast ducts thickens as cells proliferate, often with central necrosis
NON-INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU (DCIS)
What is the pathology?
- Epithelial lining of breast ducts thickens as cells proliferate, often with central necrosis
- Microcalcification on mammography, unifocal lesion in one area of breast
BREAST CANCER
What imaging choices are there for investigating breast cancer and what would influence your choice?
- Mammography, high resolution USS (good at Dx + targeting biopsy)
- MRI (good assessment of implants, dense breasts or high-risk screening)
BREAST CANCER
If someone has breast cancer, what would you like to check now?
- Oestrogen receptor (ER)
- Human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)
- Progesterone
- Ki67 status
- Nottingham Prognostic index = grade, size + nodal status to predict survival
BREAST CANCER
What staging is used in breast cancer?
- CT CAP for TNM staging
- T1 = confined to breast, mobile
- T2 = confined to breast + LN in ipsilateral axilla
- T3 = fixed to muscle, locally advanced disease
- T4 = fixed to chest wall, metastatic
BREAST CANCER
What tumour marker can be used to monitor response to breast cancer treatment and disease recurrence?
- CA 15-3
BREAST CANCER SCREENING
What is the NHS breast screening programme?
- Women 50–70 invited every 3 years for dual-view mammography
- it improves stage at diagnosis so 5 year survival risen from 80% to 95%
BREAST CANCER SCREENING
What is the process of mammography?
Breast pressed between 2 plates to flatten + improve resolution
- Cranio-caudal (CC) + medio-lateral oblique (MLO) views
- Graded 1 (normal) to 5 (likely malignant)
BREAST CANCER
What are some clinical signs of breast cancer?
- Hard, irregular, painless, fixed lesions tethered to skin or chest wall
- Indrawn nipple, peau d’orange (skin tethering), oedema or erythema
- Palpable axillary nodes (axillary > supraclavicular > infraclavicular > neck)
BREAST CANCER
What are the 2 most common histological types of invasive breast cancer?
- Invasive ductal carcinoma (70%) = invaded basement membrane, grows as little hard nots in breast
- Lobular carcinoma (10%) = harder to feel, less likely to be visible on mammography, more diffuse so difficult to excise
BREAST CANCER
What are some other types of breast cancer?
- Inflammatory breast cancer (presents like mastitis, no Abx response)
- Medullary cancers (younger)
- Colloid/mucoid cancers (elderly)
- Breast sarcomas, phyllodes tumour + lymphoma rare
PAGET’S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE
What is Paget’s disease of the nipple?
- Eczematous change of nipple (affects nipple primarily and then spreads to areola)
- Suspect if nipple eczema unresolved with 2w of steroid or anti-fungal cream
PAGET’S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE
What causes Paget’s disease of the nipple?
- Infiltration of tumours cells through the ducts onto nipple surface where they infiltrate the epidermis
PAGET’S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE
what are the signs and symptoms?
- rash like eczema or psoriasis on nipple
- ulcerations/scabs/bleeding
- itching/burning
- lump
- signs and symptoms of breast cancer
PAGET’S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE
what are the risk factors?
- old age
- FHx of breast cancer
- Previous breast cancer
- overweight
- excess alcohol
- smoking
- risk factors for breast cancer
PAGET’S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE
what are the risk factors?
- old age
- FHx of breast cancer
- Previous breast cancer
- overweight
- excess alcohol
- smoking
- risk factors for breast cancer
PAGET’S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE
what are the investigations?
clinical examination
mammogram/USS
biopsy
PAGET’S DISEASE OF THE NIPPLE
What is the management?
- Needs biopsy, excision via mastectomy or central (nipple excising) wide local excision
BREAST CANCER
What are some other genetic mutations associated with breast cancer?
- TP53 (Li Fraumeni)
- Peutz-Jeghers
BREAST CANCER
What is the epidemiology of breast cancer?
- 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime
- Most common cancer in women + second most common cause of death
BREAST CANCER
What are some modifiable risk factors of breast cancer?
- Weight
- Exercise
- Smoking
- Alcohol consumption
- HRT for >5 years
- OCP
- post-menopausal obesity
- first child birth >35
BREAST CANCER
What are some non-modifiable risk factors of breast cancer?
- Female (99%)
- Breast density
- Age of menarche + menopause
- BRCA1/2 status + FHx
- Increasing age
- Nulliparous
- Not breastfeeding
- HRT use >5y
BREAST CANCER
What are some protective factors of breast cancer?
- Breastfeeding
- Multiparity
- Late menarche + early menopause
BREAST CANCER
What are the 2 main genes involved in breast cancer and how do they act?
- BRCA1 = mutation of C17, 60-80% lifetime risk, stronger incidence
- BRCA2 = mutation of C13, 45% lifetime risk
- Tumour suppression genes that act as inhibitors of cellular growth
BREAST CANCER
What is the classic clinical presentation of breast cancer?
- Normal appearing breast with palpable painless lump
- Pain + tenderness uncommon
- Visually = nipple inversion, bloody nipple discharge
BREAST CANCER
What warrants an urgent 2ww cancer referral?
What happens under the 2ww referal?
- ≥30 with unexplained breast lump ± pain
- ≥50 with discharge, retraction or other change of concern
- Triple assessment
BREAST CANCER
What is the triple assessment?
What happens at end?
- Clinical assessment (Hx + Examination)
- Imaging (<35 USS as dense tissue, >35 USS + mammography)
- Biopsy (histology + cytology) with core needle biopsy (or fine needle aspiration)
- Each scored /5 (1=ok, 5=malignant), aim for score concordance (repeat test if one really high)
- Pt discussed + reviewed in breast MDT
BREAST CANCER
What are the pros of breast cancer screening?
- Earlier detection,
- Reduces morbidity + mortality,
- Detects asymptomatic cancers before present,
- Not overly invasive
BREAST CANCER
What are the cons of breast cancer screening?
- ?Overdiagnosis (frail women Dx with small low-grade cancers),
- Anxiety if recalled,
- Low dose XR > small amount of malignancies
BREAST CANCER
What are some reasons that a woman may be recalled for further views, USS or biopsy?
- Mass (well or poorly defined, rough edges, spiculated = carcinoma)
- Microcalcification (associated with DCIS)
- Parenchymal deformity
- Asymmetrical density
- Clinical or technical recall
BREAST CANCER
What is the high risk screening for breast cancer?
BRCA1/2 screening –
- 30–40 annual MRI
- 40–50 annual MRI + mammograms
- 50–60 annual mammogram (+ MRI if dense breasts)
- 60–70 triennial mammograms (+ MRI if dense breasts)
BREAST CANCER
What is the management of BRCA1/2 women?
- Genetic pedigree to identify at risk
- Additional screening, lifestyle advice
- ?Prophylactic tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors
- ?Risk reducing salpingo-oopherectomy or mastectomy
BREAST CANCER
What are some complications of breast cancer?
- Locally advanced (rare), try shrink with radio, chemo, or hormone therapy to try operate, salvage surgery + stage for mets
- Metastatic breast cancer (2Ls 2Bs) = Lungs, Liver, Bones, Brain
METASTATIC BREAST CANCER
How may metastatic breast cancer present?
- Bony pain or #
METASTATIC BREAST CANCER
What is the management?
- Bisphosphonates + denosumab, radio/chemo + Sx control
BREAST CANCER
What is breast conservation treatment?
- Lumpectomy or wide local excision where remaining breast tissue gets localised radiotherapy
BREAST CANCER
What are the indications for breast conservation treatment?
- Small tumour relative to breast (<25%),
- DCIS,
- no previous radiotherapy,
- not underneath nipple,
- pt choice
BREAST CANCER
What factors affect the outcome of breast conservation treatment?
- Tumour size relative to breast,
- position of tumour in breast (lateral more favourable),
- radiotherapy fibrosis