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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer by Type > Breast Cancer: Introduction > Section Summary: Breast Cancer

Section Summary: Breast Cancer

Introduction

• Second most prevalent cause of cancer death in women
• Most breast cancers originate in mammary ducts

Types of Breast Cancer

• In situ breast carcinoma is noninvasive. There are two types: ductal and lobular.
• Infiltrating carcinoma is invasive carcinoma. It can originate in the ducts or lobules of the breast, but has spread to the surrounding connective tissue.

Risk Factors

• A history of breast cancer greatly increases the risk for future development of breast cancer.
• It is possible to inherit defective genes that lead to the familial form of breast cancer.
• Breast cancer risk increases with age.
• African Americans women have a lower risk of developing breast cancer compared to white American women.
• Hormone replacement therapy has been associated with increased breast cancer risk, but its impact is still under investigation.
• Exposure to radiation and dietary factors also affect breast cancer risk.

Pathology Report and Staging

• A sample of breast tissue is examined micro- and macroscopically in order to create a pathology report.
• The T/N/M system is one of the most common methods used for breast cancer staging.
• The T/N/M system assigns a degree of severity based on size, lymph node involvement, and spread of the cancer.

Breast Cancer Tumor Biology

• Many genetic changes occur in cancer. Details can be found in the Mutation section.
• BRCA1, BRCA2, HER-2, PTEN, TP53, and ATM are all genes involved in breast cancer development.
• The estrogen receptor protein binds estrogen in the cell. This complex promotes cell division. The presence or absence of this protein helps determine treatment option for the cancer.

Treatment

• Treatments differ by the stage of the cancer.
  • Early stage treatment involves cancers confined to the breast.
  • Late stage treatment involves tumors that have spread beyond the breast.
• Treatments can include: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted treatments.

Breast Cancer in Men

• Male breast cancer is rare and usually occurs later in men than women.
• The process of detection, diagnosis, and treatment is similar to those of female breast cancer.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer

• The cancer does not produce significant amounts of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, or a form of the epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2).
• Triple negative breast cancer tends to be an aggressive cancer.
• Triple negative breast cancer is unresponsive to the available targeted treatments.